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The main dish, Regional

Matelote, French red wine fish stew

Matelote is a French freshwater fish stew made with eel or monkfish and trout or carp, simmered in a full-bodied red wine with bacon lardons, pearl onions, and mushrooms, for 6 people. It takes 40 minutes of active work and is made entirely the day before, leaving only reheating on the day. It rates moderate difficulty, about €7.60 per person, and the key is letting the fish cool in the sauce so it stays intact.

Fish simmered in a deep red wine with bacon lardons and pearl onions, with garlic croutons for dipping, pure countryside cooking.

Matelote, French red wine fish stew
For
6 people
Work
40 min
Total time
1 h 40
Prep
Prepared the day before
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€7.60
Calories per person
520 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach

Matelote is a freshwater fish stew simmered in red wine, a countryside dish from regions with rivers and ponds. Eel or monkfish gives a firm texture that holds up well during cooking, while trout or carp adds something more delicate. The full-bodied red wine, flamed with cognac then reduced, builds a dark, fragrant sauce, a world away from the usual white sauces served with fish.

This is a dish for a dinner with friends in fall or winter, when you want to serve something different from a classic blanquette or fish in white sauce. Serve it with garlic croutons for dipping into the sauce, alongside a light starter before and a simple cheese course or dessert after.

The schedule

What happens when, so you can be with your guests instead of in the kitchen.

  1. The day before 4 steps, 53 min
  2. The same day Nothing to do
  3. Before the guests arrive 1 step
  4. When it's time to serve 1 step, 20 min

Make the entire matelote the day before, from cooking the lardons to coating the cooled fish with the sauce, then refrigerate. On the day, take the dish out thirty minutes before reheating and toast the bread. Just before guests arrive, rub the croutons with garlic, and at serving time, reheat the matelote gently without boiling and plate it over the croutons.

The ingredients

6 people

Fish counter

  • Eel or monkfish, cut into chunks 600 g
  • Trout or carp fillets 600 g

Pantry

  • Full bodied red wine 75 cl
  • Flouroften in the pantry 30 g
  • Cognac 4 cl
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Butcher

  • Smoked bacon lardons 150 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Pearl onions 250 g
  • Button mushrooms 250 g
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Bouquet garni 1

Dairy

  • Butter 60 g

Bakery

  • Country bread 6 slices

Allergens Fish, Gluten, Lactose

The recipe, moment by moment

The day beforeWhat's better after resting overnight in the fridge.

  1. Brown the bacon lardons and pearl onions in a Dutch oven, add the mushrooms, then set everything aside. 10 min

    Keep the bacon fat in the pot for the next step, it adds flavor.

  2. Flame the cognac in the pot, pour in the red wine, add the bouquet garni and two crushed garlic cloves, and reduce by a third over high heat. 15 min

    Pull the pot off the heat while the flame burns out.

  3. Lay the fish pieces in the wine, simmer gently for 20 minutes covered, then remove them and keep cool in a dish. 20 min

    Cook the eel or monkfish first, then the more delicate fish.

  4. Thicken the sauce with a beurre manié made of butter and flour, add back the lardons, onions, and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and let it cool. 8 min

    Pour the cooled sauce over the fish once it has cooled, the fish will not fall apart.

Before the guests arriveThe last hour, right before the doorbell rings.

  1. Take the dish out of the fridge thirty minutes before reheating. Toast the bread slices.

    Rub the warm bread with the remaining garlic clove right out of the oven.

When it's time to serveThe final touches, right in front of your guests.

  1. Gently reheat the matelote covered for 20 minutes, without boiling. Serve over the garlic croutons. 20 min

    Shake the pot to stir it, a spoon would break up the fish.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a red wine you would actually drink at the table, its quality comes through directly once the sauce reduces.
  • Never let the sauce boil once the fish is in it, not during cooking and not when reheating, or the fish will fall apart.
  • If you cannot find eel, monkfish alone works well and skips the extra work of skinning it.

The variations

  • Swap the eel for conger eel or hake, the flavor will be milder but the texture still holds up in the sauce.
  • For an all year round version, use monkfish and cod only instead of freshwater fish, both are easier to find.
  • Serve steamed potatoes instead of croutons if you are hosting kids who are not into garlic bread.

What to serve it with

  • Plain steamed potatoes
  • A simple green salad after
  • A light Loire or Burgundy red wine

Storage

The matelote keeps for 2 days in the refrigerator in a covered dish. It does not freeze well since the fish would fall apart once thawed, so it is best eaten fresh. Always reheat gently, covered, without letting it boil.

Questions about this recipe

Can you use a different fish instead of eel?

Yes, monkfish alone or paired with conger eel works well, it keeps a firm texture that holds up during cooking. Avoid overly delicate fish that would fall apart in the sauce.

How do you keep the fish from falling apart while cooking?

Cook the fish at a gentle simmer, never at a rolling boil, and remove it from the sauce as soon as it is done so it cools separately. Pouring the hot sauce over it afterward finishes the cooking gently.

Why flame the cognac and the wine?

Flaming burns off the raw alcohol and leaves only the flavor of the wine and cognac in the sauce. It also keeps the sauce from tasting too sharp once reduced.

Can kids eat this dish?

This dish is not really made with kids in mind because of the wine and the bold sauce. You can serve them the steamed potatoes with a piece of fish rinsed of sauce if needed.

Can a matelote, a French red wine fish stew be made ahead?

Yes, it's even recommended. The recipe needs 40 min of work in total, split up like this, the day before, 4 steps, before the guests arrive, 1 step, when it's time to serve, 1 step.

How long does it take to make a matelote, a French red wine fish stew?

Allow 1 h 40 in total, including resting and cooking time, of which 40 min is actual work. The recipe is rated "medium".

How many calories are in a matelote, a French red wine fish stew?

About 520 kcal per person, for a recipe meant for 6 people. The calories are calculated by Kiloach, your kilo coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a matelote, a French red wine fish stew cost?

About €7.60 per person, that's €45.60 for 6 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, gluten, lactose. Remember to ask your guests about their allergies before putting your menu together.

To round out your menu

Build a menu
Walnut cake The dessert

Regional

Walnut cake

  • 25 min of work
  • Prepared the day before
  • Easy, €1.10 per person

430 kcalcalculated by Kiloach

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