Catfish Courtbouillon

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 stick butter
• 6 cups fish stock or water
• 1 can (35 ounces) Italian tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, leaves chopped ( 1/2 cup lightly packed)
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, marjoram or basil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 4 pounds catfish fillets
• 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
• Cayenne pepper and salt to taste
• Cooked rice for serving

1. Heat the oil in a heavy 5-quart saucepan or enameled Dutch oven until smoking.
2. Add the flour and stir until blended.
3. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and straw colored, about 3 minutes.
4. Stir in the onion, pepper, garlic and celery.
5. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the butter.
6. Continue cooking until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
7. Meanwhile, bring the fish stock or water to a boil.
8. Stir in the tomatoes and their liquid, parsley, bay leaves, thyme and oregano, marjoram or basil to the flour mixture.
9. Add the boiling fish stock, lemon juice and wine and stir gently.
10. Simmer until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes.
11. Add the fish, green onions and cayenne, stir gently and simmer just until the fish layers separate when prodded gently with a fork, about 2 minutes.
12. Taste for seasoning.
13. (It will need salt if water is used.)
14. Serve over rice.

vegetable oil, flour, yellow onion, green bell pepper, garlic, celery, butter, fish stock, italian tomatoes, italian parsley, bay leaves, thyme, fresh oregano, lemon, white wine, catfish fillets, green onions, cayenne pepper, rice

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/8294 (may not work)