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A matelote () is the name given in French cuisine to a fish stew made with white or red wine. It is normally made with freshwater fish, and may contain a mixture of different fish or a single species. It is traditionally garnished with small onions and mushrooms that have been cooked with the fish.
According to Prosper Montagné in Larousse Gastronomique, the only matelote made from Saltwater fish is the matelote à la normande, which is made with sole, conger eel and Triglidae. Montagné adds, "The term matelote is also loosely and improperly applied to dishes made of veal and poultry. We confine ourselves merely to mentioning this misnomer. We cannot recommend that it should be used in the drawing-up of menus".
Most matelotes are garnished with small onions and mushrooms, cooked with the fish, and often with freshwater crayfish cooked in a court-bouillon. Croutons or other variants of fried bread are generally served with the dish.
Despite the disapproval of Larousse, calves' brains may be served en matelote, poached in stock with sliced onions, carrots and red wine, served sliced, garnished with the glazed onions, mushrooms and heart-shaped croutons typical of matelotes.Bickel, p. 353 In the mid-18th-century the English cook Hannah Glasse published a recipe for what she called "A Pig Matelot", which included crayfish, eels, white wine and herbs, but also most of a whole pig, chopped into pieces.Glasse, p. 12 In 1909 Auricoste de Lazarque published a recipe for Matelote sans poisson, for those who have been let down by their fishmonger. It uses most of the usual ingredients but replaces the missing fish with slices of firmly-cooked omelette.David, 1999, pp. 465–466
Variants
Matelote d'anguille (eel) Eel cut in pieces, sautéed in butter, flambéed with cognac, cooked in red wine, thickened with butter and flour, garnished with button onions, mushrooms, crayfish tails and heart-shaped croutons. Bickel, p. 207 Matelote à la bourguignonne or matelote de meunier or meurette Made from all kinds of freshwater fish – small carp, esox, eel, barbel – cut into pieces, cooked in red wine with carrots, onions, garlic and herbs. Flaming Burgundy Pomace brandy is added and the sauce is thickened with butter and flour. Garnished with garlic bread. Calmar (squid) en matelote Squid tentacles cut in pieces, shallow fried in oil with chopped onions, garlic, diced tomatoes and herbs, cooked in white wine. Garnished with mushrooms and button onions, sprinkled with chopped parsley. Bickel, p. 259 Matelote à la canotière (rower) Made with carp and eel, with onion, garlic and herbs, cooked in dry white wine. Flambéed with brandy before further cooking with added mushrooms and small onions. Served with freshwater crayfish cooked in a court-bouillon. Carpe en matelote Carp cut in pieces, cooked in red wine, flambéed with cognac, thickened with butter and flour, garnished with mushrooms and button onions, surrounded with fried heart shaped croutons. Bickel, p. 176 Matelote à l'espagnole (Spanish style) Freshwater fish cut in pieces, flambéed with brandy, cooked in cider, stock boiled down and mixed with fish velouté, garnished with crayfish tails, and poached oysters. Matelote à l'italienne (Italian style) Tench and pike cut in pieces, cooked in red wine with chopped onions and herbs, thickened with flour and butter, garnished with mushrooms and button onions. Matelote à la marinière (sailor style) Carp, pike, eel and tench cut in pieces, flambéed with cognac, cooked in white wine or alternatively champagne. The stock is reduced and mixed with fish velouté. Served with button onions, mushrooms, whole crayfish and heart-shaped croûtons. Saulnier, p. 77 (champagne); and Bickel, p. 208 (white wine) Matelote à la meunière (in the style of the miller's wife) Freshwater fish cooked in red wine, flambéed with cognac, and then cooked in stock thickened with flour and butter. Served garnished with crayfish and heart shaped croutons. Matelote à la normande (Normandy style) Triglidae, sole and small cut in pieces, flambéed with calvados cooked in cider, stock boiled down, mixed with fish velouté and cream, garnished with poached oysters, mushrooms, mussels, crayfish tails and heart-shaped croutons. Matelote à la parisienne Carp, eel, pike, perch and trout cut in pieces and cooked in red wine, thickened with flour and butter. Served with crayfish tails, button onions, small fish dumplings, mushrooms and truffles. Matelote des pêcheurs (fishermen's style) Carp, eel, pike, perch and trout, cut in pieces, cooked in red wine, thickened with flour and butter, garnished with button onions and mushrooms. Pochouse Made from a variety of freshwater fish. Flambéed in brandy and cooked in red wine thickened with butter and flour, with coarsely diced pork belly, mushrooms and small glazed. Served with garlic bread. Matelote à la remoise (Rheims style) Pike cut in pieces, poached in fish stock and dry champagne, stock boiled down and mixed with fish velouté, garnished with poached fish roes, mushrooms, truffle slices and heart-shaped croutons. Bickel, p. 208 Pochouse de Verdun-sur-le-Doubs Verdun Style carp, pike, eel and tenth cut in pieces, flambéed with cognac, cooked in red wine with a bunch of herbs, stock thickened with flour and butter, garnished with diced fried bacon, glazed onions, mushrooms and croutons rubbed with garlic. Waterzoï Eel, carp, pike; cooked in court-bouillon with salt, pepper, faggot, sage, celery and butter, garnish with slices of bread and butter. Saulnier, p. 86
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