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Fish, Northern, Eastern and Western France

Fish meurette with garlic croutons

Fish meurette is a Burgundian stew of cod, bacon, mushrooms and pearl onions simmered in a reduced red wine sauce. It serves 4, takes 50 minutes, ranks as medium difficulty, and costs about €4.40 per person. The key to success is reducing the sauce well and poaching the fish very gently.

Tonight, Burgundy lands on your plate, a red wine fish stew with garlic croutons.

Fish meurette with garlic croutons
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€4.40
Calories per person
680 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter

Meurette is really about the sauce first, the same base as beef bourguignon but turned toward the sea. The red wine reduces into something dark and deep, almost sweet thanks to the browned pearl onions, while the bacon brings the salt that balances it all. The white fish, cooked just right, stays delicate in the middle of this bold sauce, and the button mushrooms add softness.

This is a dish for a Sunday or an evening when you have some time, since the sauce needs reducing and attention. We suggest it in fall or winter, when a warm, fragrant dish feels right. It's a meal for adults and curious older kids, more than for young palates used to plain fish.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • White fish fillets (cod, pollock, hake) 800 g

Pantry

  • Full bodied red wine 50 cl
  • Flouroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Bouquet garnioften in the pantry 1
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Butcher

  • Bacon lardons 150 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Pearl onions 12
  • Button mushrooms 200 g
  • Garlic 3 cloves

Dairy

  • Butter 50 g

Bakery

  • Baguette 1

Allergens Fish, Gluten, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the bacon and pearl onions in a Dutch oven, then add the mushrooms cut into quarters.

    Let the onions brown well, they sweeten the sauce.

  2. Pour in the red wine with the bouquet garni and a crushed garlic clove, then reduce by half. 15 min

    Don't salt yet, the reduction already concentrates the salt from the bacon.

  3. Slice the baguette, rub the slices with garlic, and toast them in the oven or a skillet with a bit of butter.

    Rub the garlic on the bread while it's still warm, it carries more flavor that way.

  4. Add the chopped fish to the sauce and let it poach gently. 8 min

    Don't stir with a spoon, just shake the pot instead.

  5. Thicken the sauce with a beurre manié, butter and flour mixed together, and serve with the croutons.

    A small piece of cold butter stirred in at the end gives a nice shine.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a red wine you would actually drink, a thin or overly acidic one will taste flat once reduced.
  • Cut the fish fillets into fairly large chunks so they hold together and don't fall apart in the sauce.
  • Make the beurre manié ahead by mixing equal parts soft butter and flour, it will dissolve smoothly without lumps.

The variations

  • Swap the cod for monkfish or salmon, the red wine sauce works just as well with a firmer or fattier fish.
  • For a version without bacon, use extra mushrooms and a bit more butter to keep richness and flavor in the sauce.
  • To save time, swap the pearl onions for one sliced yellow onion, you'll cut ten minutes off the peeling.

What to serve it with

  • A light Burgundy red wine
  • A sharply dressed green salad
  • Steamed potatoes

Storage

Fish meurette keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, since fish doesn't hold up well longer than that. It doesn't freeze well because of the fish and the butter-thickened sauce. Reheat it gently over low heat, without boiling, so the fish doesn't turn rubbery.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the sauce ahead of time?

Yes, you can reduce the red wine sauce the day before and keep it in the fridge. On the day, just reheat the sauce and poach the fish in it.

What fish works best for a meurette?

A firm white fish like cod, pollock or hake holds up well in the sauce. Avoid delicate fish that tends to flake apart during cooking.

Why reduce the wine before cooking the fish in it?

Raw wine tastes harsh and acidic, which throws off the dish. Reducing or flambéing the wine burns off the alcohol and leaves a rounder, richer sauce.

Can you replace the beurre manié with cream?

You can add a splash of cream at the end to soften the sauce, but it won't taste as traditional. Beurre manié remains the classic way to thicken a meurette without weighing down the flavor.

How long does it take to make a fish meurette with garlic croutons?

Count 50 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a fish meurette with garlic croutons?

About 680 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a fish meurette with garlic croutons cost?

About €4.40 per serving, or €17.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, gluten, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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