Equipment
Ingredients
Liquids
- 1500 ml water, cold
- 500 ml dry white wine
Aromatics
- 150 g carrot, peeled and roughly sliced
- 100 g celery, roughly sliced
- 150 g leek, white and light green parts only, washed and sliced
- 150 g yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
Herbs and Seasonings
- 10 g fresh parsley, stems and leaves
- 2 g fresh thyme, sprigs
- 2 bay leaf
- 3 g black peppercorns, whole
- 15 g sea salt, coarse
- 1 lemon, sliced into thick rounds
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 85 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 10 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 764 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 230 mg
- Calcium
- 44 mg
- Iron
- 0.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 22 mg
- Phosphorus
- 36 mg
- Zinc
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 181 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 14 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 36 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.04 mg
- Niacin
- 0.4 mg
- Folate
- 28 mcg
- Water
- 315 g
- Alcohol
- 6 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Wash, peel, and roughly chop the carrot, celery, leek, and onion into uniform pieces on a cutting board.
Place the water, white wine, chopped vegetables, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, and lemon slices into a large heavy-bottomed pot.
Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a gentle boil at 100°C/212°F.
Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and simmer gently for 30 minutes to extract the delicate flavors from the aromatics.
Remove the pot from the heat. Carefully pour the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl, pressing lightly on the solids to extract excess liquid. Discard the spent vegetables and herbs.
Allow the strained broth to cool to room temperature before using it to poach seafood.
Chef's Notes
- Always cool the court bouillon before adding raw fish. Starting fish in cold or room temperature liquid and bringing it up to temperature gently prevents the delicate proteins from seizing and drying out.
- The term 'short broth' means it should only be simmered for about 30 minutes. Simmering longer will cause the vegetables to release muddy, overcooked flavors that mask the brightness of the wine.
- Select a high-acidity, dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. Avoid oaky Chardonnays, which can impart unpleasant, woody flavors when heated.
- You can reuse court bouillon for poaching multiple batches of seafood. Strain and freeze it between uses to develop an even richer, more profound flavor profile over time.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container. Can be re-boiled every few days to extend shelf life.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in heavy-duty bags or airtight containers.
Troubleshooting
Broth tastes bitter or overly acidic
Cause: The lemon slices were boiled for too long or the wine used was too oaky
Fix: Cannot be fixed completely; dilute with slightly more water or add a small pinch of sugar to balance the acidity
Prevention: Remove the lemon slices after 15 minutes of simmering, and always use a crisp, unoaked white wine
Broth is cloudy and murky
Cause: The liquid was boiled too vigorously instead of gently simmered
Fix: Cosmetic issue mostly; can be clarified with an egg white raft if crystal clear presentation is required
Prevention: Maintain a very gentle simmer with only occasional small bubbles breaking the surface
Cultural Context
Court bouillon translates literally from French as 'short boil'. It is a foundational technique in classical French gastronomy, intentionally quick-cooked to impart bright, delicate aromatics into seafood without overpowering the natural, refined flavors of the main ingredient.
