I confess, I’m still stuck on the Louisiana thing … which I didn’t foresee some weeks ago.  And what was originally planned as my non-BMB cooking adventure last weekend turned out to be a worthy and interesting post subject.  Or so I think.

Many of you are reading this and thinking, “Courtbouillon?”  What the heck is that?  Well, it’s sort of a fish soup, burgeoning on a stew — all with a NOLA twist.  And no, we won’t utter that Rachel Ray-ism of “stoup” which seems so déclassé.  I was introduced to courtbouillon via an Emeril Lagasse episode on Food Network some years ago, and gave the recipe a try way back then.  Loved it.  Unfortunately, I lost track of the recipe over the years, forgetting what a great meal it was – until I was cruising my Louisiana and Cajun cookbooks recently.  Given that it’s still winter, the warm spicy soup’s appeal beckoned for a do-over.  It’s also easy on the fats and calories — all the better for the chubby challenged.

First, a little history … compliments of “Tales of the Courtbouillon” which is straight off of Emerils.com.  Seems that the etymology of court-bouillon [pronounced cour-bouillon] was a French poaching liquid for fish, specifically a Lenten broth that included wine, butter, spices and herbs.  In fact, this article cites bouillabaisse as a cousin to court-bouillon, reinterpreted to reflect the seaport of Marseilles where saffron, tomatoes and pepper were incorporated – as well as oil (e.g. the Provençal rouille).  But as the greater Louisiana area was populated by the influx of French and Spanish settlers along with the Acadians and African slaves, the Louisiana rendition became localized as well.  There it started with a roux for flavor & thickening, was tomato based, then enhanced with local bounty from the marshes:  shrimp, crab, redfish and catfish along with ground sassafras leaves (filé) and okra.

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Skrimps.  Nope, it’s not a typo; I do realize that my post title this week is far from grammatically correct.  The hallowed halls of higher education will have to grant me a special ‘urban slang pass,’ because I’m just sort of into the word since I heard it again recently on television.  I’m having a flashback to my days in Atlanta.  Skrimps.

You see, ever since the New Orleans Saints’ win at the Super Bowl several weeks ago, I’ve had NOLA and its food on the brain.  I also realized that I’ve been putting you biscuiteers at risk for diabetes with all the carbs and sweets I’ve been showcasing, so thought I’d post responsibly with a protein based recipe for a change (‘responsibly’ excludes use of butter and cream as flavor factors).  And I’ve chosen skrimps … OK, shrimp.

After browsing through my Cajun cookbook collection, the recipe that spoke to me was from John Besh’s new’ish publication, My New Orleans.  It is one big, honking cookbook and I love it; not sure if I should rest it on my coffee table for its heft and National Geographic grade pictures, or if I should add further bulk to my overstuffed personal library shelves with this chunky thing.  For those of you that aren’t familiar with the name, John Besh is the reining darling of the New Orleans French Quarter, and a chef that you would have seen on any number of Food Network programs (he competed for “The Next Iron Chef,” but sadly was out-played by Chef Michael Symon).  He is quite the restaurant mogul, owning several establishments with a reputation for French influence but with modern bayou nuances (August, Lüke), and is an avid locavore supporting his beloved NOLA.  Did I mention he’s got that easy-on-the-eye media appeal to match a saucy, Southern frat boy sense of humor?

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