The French Court-Bouillon is to Gulf Coast cooking what the roux is to Creole cooking.  Don't let the fancy French term fool you.  This dish is quick and easy; in fact "court" means "short."   Court-Bouillon is basically a very flavorful broth, usually containing the Cajun trinity, used to poach fish or other seafood.  

As best my Yankee ears can make out, Gulf-Coasters pronounce it "Cubion."  My Mississippi-native father-in-law, Larry Gunn, actually made this dish for me twice before I realized he was saying "Court-Bouillon."  On the flip side of the coin, I've made a mental note not to use my finest French accent to order Court-Bouillon when I'm in his neck of the woods.

Larry is not only my father-in-law, he's the very fine editor of our cookbook.  He's a master of the language, and we were thrilled when he agreed to take on that daunting task back in 2007.  The polish he put on the book took it to new heights (except maybe for the headnote on p. 226 where I didn't take his advice). (I insisted on talking like a pirate and including a reference to one's pirate booty.  He is not to be held responsible...)

While there's no TJ's in Mississippi, I think Larry and my mother-in-law, Mary, have developed quite a liking for the store after their many trips out to California.  Any time that Larry and Mary spend out here invariably includes a Trader Joe's run or two.

Deana:  What makes Trader Joe's unique and worth going? Larry: As an out-of-towner, I go straight to the wine section. Good, unique buys for not much money.
Deana: What was it like working on Cooking with All Things Trader Joe's?
Larry: Editing was a snap. You and Wona knew your subject well, stayed focused, and are good writers. All I did was move commas around and make a few suggestions. And I stayed hungry reading your drafts.
Deana:  What strikes you as the main distinction between California cuisine and Gulf Coast cuisine?
Larry: The ingredients, of course, but the spices are the main thing. Cajun spices derive from Europe and the Creole regions, California from the East.
Deana: What's the secret to a good meal?
Larry: Having your mother-in-law Mary looking over my shoulder telling me what to do next.

Snapper Court-Bouillon

The classic dish down south is Redfish Court-Bouillon, but since Redfish is usually limited to the Mississippi/Louisiana area (I'm more familiar with the Dr. Suess version), Larry went with red snapper, a close relative.

1 lb snapper cut into smaller pieces (black snapper is most sustainable, red snapper depends on origin)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 bell pepper, chopped (red or green, Larry used red)
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken or fish broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup flour + 2 Tbsp flour, divided
2 tsp Tony Chacheres Original Creole Seasoning (we used Spice Hunter's Cajun Creole Seasoning instead, which got the thumbs up from Larry)

1.) In a cast iron pan or other skillet, saute the onion, celery, and bell pepper in 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat until onions are soft.  Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp flour and saute for an additional minute or two.
2.) Add the tomatoes, broth, and garlic, simmering for about 10 minutes.  Add more broth as necessary to keep mixture fluid.
3.) Combine the remaining flour and 2 tsp seasoning.  Coat the fish in the flour mixture (Larry did this by putting the flour mixture in a brown grocery bag and putting the fish pieces in a few at a time, giving the bag a good shake).
4.) Heat about 1/4 cup oil in a pan and pan fry the fish on both sides until just cooked.  Place the fish in the court-bouillon and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Serve over rice.