Finally the time would arrive when the water became so shallow that the fish covered its entire surface. This ended the picnic, and work began in earnest. We rushed back and forth, first filling our nets with fish and then emptying them into the tubs because we had to work fast to get out as many fish as possible before they were sucked into the mud by the sinking water. Experience told these farmers about when to open up the dam so that we would finish about sunrise, a convenient hour to start off to town with the catch. Some of the men sold theirs in nearby villages, others to rural inns, which in our part of France invariably had small garden pools stocked with enough fish to assure their customers a continuous fresh supply. But some of us always took our share home, our mouths watering for the good matelote which would soon come steaming to the table. This fine fish stew needs several kinds of fish, just as does bouillabaisse, and in my home it was only after these pond drainings that my mother had all the different kinds of fish together at one time.
The famous French gourmet, BrillatSavarin, put matelote high in the scale of good fish dishes. In his Physiology of Taste he says that “Fish under skillful hands may become an inexhaustible resource of gustatory enjoyments. It is served up entire, sliced in pieces, done in water, in oil, in wine, hot or cold, and is always well received, but it never deserves a warmer welcome than when it is brought up en matelote,” a statement with which I am in hearty accord. He also says that “This stew, though of necessity a dish often eaten by the sailors on our rivers and made in perfection only by the innkeepers on the banks of such rivers, owes to them, nevertheless, a delicacy which is unsurpassed. Those who love fish never see it appear without expressing the highest delight, either because it combines several good qualities, or because it can be eaten in unlimited quantities without fear either of satiety or of indigestion.” And in my boyhood we certainly ate great quantities of it and never knew what it was to have indigestion!
In making matelote, you should select firm fish and the kinds that are not full of tiny bones. In this country, carp, bass, and perch are a good selection, also lake —not brook—trout. Eels are always included. Matelote is a stew and so does not require a great deal of liquid, but wine is the liquid that is always used— preferably a good dry white wine, although there are some who like a dry red better. This recipe is the one we used in my home in France.
Matelote Marinière
Clean well about 3 pounds fish (perch, carp, bass, and eels), cut in medium-sized pieces, put in a saucepan, and cover with white (or red) wine. Add 1 onion, minced, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 teaspoon salt, and a fagot made by tying together a sprig of parsley, 1 bay leaf, and a little thyme. Bring to a boil and cook gently for 12 to 15 minutes. Cook separately 8 to 10 small white onions and 8 to 10 small mushrooms. Remove the fish to a serving dish and keep warm. Prepare beurre manié by creaming together 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon flour and add to the liquid in the pan. Bring to the boil and stir constantly until the sauce is thickened. Correct the seasoning with salt. Arrange the cooked onions and mushrooms over and around the fish and strain the sauce over it all. Garnish with slices of French bread toasted or fried in butter.
Many of the regional variations of matelote are famous. For example, there is a matelote spécialité called la po-chouse that is made in Verdun sur-le- Doubs—which, incidentally, is not the Verdun of World War I fame that is situated on the Meuse, but another Ver-dun located where the Doubs and the Saône rivers come together. The Doubs is a good-sized stream, well stocked with fish, and the hotels in the vicinity attract people from all over who come for a dish of la pochouse—named for that particular section of the country.
La Pochouse de Verdun
In making this dish or any dish using fresh-water fish, it is best to discard the roe because the roe of fresh-water fish is not usually very good. If it seems to be especially good, it can be sautéed in butter and served as a garnish, but I would seldom advise doing it.
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