Recipe - Carpe En Matelotte

1 Whole carp cut into thick
slices.
1 One half pound Freshwater fish; (not
carp), cut into pieces
5 tablespoon Butter _or_ margarine
2 tablespoon + 2 tsp. flour
16 small White onions; (sometimes
they're called "boiling
onions")
1 One half cup Dry red wine
1 One half cup Fish fumet _or_ chicken
stock
1 Bouquet garni*; (see note)
Croutons

I saw this and thought of it as Jewish recipe somehow. Maybe it's the carp.
The traditional French recipe calls for eel, but since that's out any other
freshwater fish such as pike or perch can be used. It's fairly quick, very
easy, and somewhat elegant for a Shabbat company summer dinner.

Yield: 6 main courses, maybe 10 first courses

Source: Adapted from TimeLife series _The Good Cook_, vol. "Fish"

Make a roux in a saucepan with half the butter (_or_ margarine) and all of
the flour. When it has turned golden brown, add the onions and cook them
gently for about 10 minutes, adding the remaining butter. Then add the red
wine and the fish stock (_or_ chicken stock), bring the sauce to a boil and
then simmer slowly for about a One half hour.

Put the fish into a large saucepan. Pour the sauce over the fish, season to
taste, and add the bouquet garni. Cook, on medium heat (you don't want to
fast a boil or the fish will disintegrate) for about 20 minutes.

When the _matelotte_ is ready, remove the bouquet garni and scatter
croutons over the stew.

*Note: a _bouquet garni_ is simply a bunch of fresh herbs (thyme, parsley,
maybe rosemary, etc.) tied at the stem with a string. Alternately, you can
put dried herbs in a cheesecloth "bag" and dunk that into the stew.

Posted to JEWISHFOOD digest by Brian Mailman bmailman@hooked.net on Feb
20, 1998