Do you ever wonder why the shrimp in a good restaurant's shrimp cocktail are so much more flavorful than what you produce at home? A good chef knows the power of a court bouillon as a boil for shrimp and crabs, or as a poaching liquid for fresh fish. You can improvise with the ingredients as you wish. This recipe is enough to boil 2 pounds of shellfish. As a poaching liquid, less can be used and the rest can be frozen for future use.
Yield 16 cups
Ingredients
16 cups water
1 carrot, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 lemon, cut into quarters
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1
Mix all ingredients and bring to a boil. Cook for 30 minutes.
