It’s Cajun cooking time folks.
I am so excited about my Cajun Shrimp Coubion with Fish I pulled out my Mardi Gras beads!
Yep, that means this is real authentic tasty Louisiana party food.
I’ve eaten Coubion my whole life.
Coubion is one of those true southern comfort food dishes.
My mother originally cooked Coubion with catfish or any other thick fish that could hold together and not break apart in this tasty sauce!
Due to the fact that Big Goo doesn’t eat catfish and I am allergic, I decided to use Tilapia.
Yes, I didn’t know I was allergic to catfish until I was an adult.
I always wondered why I would be itchy after I consumed catfish.
I thought it was because the food was spicy…go figure.
BTW, you already know that Baby Girl is allergic to all seafood so we’re going to keep her out of this Coubion party!
Coubion is like a Cajun fish gravy.
Yes, I am aware that I am Creole, but hey, we gotta give them Cajuns their props on this dish!
I am sure in my Creole mind that us Creoles invented this dish, and the Cajuns perfected it, lol.
This is a really simple dish, you take bell pepper, onions, celery and saute them in olive oil.
Add a little garlic, then add butter and more olive oil to the pan, toss in some flour and make a quick roux.
Add the seasonings, broth, tomato sauce, and red salsa. Bring the mixture to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
I use red salsa in place of crushed tomatoes, the choice is up to you.
You could also use fresh seeded chopped tomatoes straight from the garden.
After 30 minutes, carefully add the fish chunks, and limit the stirring so you want break up the fish.
Cook the fish for about 10 minutes, now add the seasoned shrimp and cook about 7 minutes more.
Serve the Coubion over hot rice, garnished with green onions and extra hot sauce if you dare.
Enjoy!
PrintCajun Shrimp Coubion with Fish
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled, deveined
- 1 lb white fish, cut into chunks
- 4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
- 3 cups red salsa
- 1 cup hot tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup parsley, minced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon creole seasoning
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
- green onions to garnish
- hot cooked rice
- hot sauce to serve
Instructions
- Mix seasoning blend together and set aside.
- Add two tablespoons of olive oil to pan over medium heat.
- Add bell pepper, onion, and celery to pan and saute 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Season with 1 tablespoon of seasoning blend, mix well.
- Add butter and remaining olive oil to pan.
- Stir in flour and cook for 5 minutes to slightly brown the flour.
- Add broth, tomato sauce, and red salsa to pan.
- Bring mixture to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes on low, uncovered.
- While sauce cooks.
- Season shrimp with 1 tablespoon of seasoning blend, mix well, and set aside.
- Season fish with 1 tablespoon of seasoning blend.
- After 30 minutes increase heat to medium and add fish to sauce, cook for 10 minutes.
- Add shrimp and parsley to sauce and stir gently.
- Cook shrimp 7 minutes.
- Serve over hot rice and garnish with green onions.
- Don’t forget the hot sauce.
Notes
Red Salsa is Mexican salsa that is usually eaten with chips.
Hot tomato sauce can be found in the ethic grocery section. Goya makes a hot tomato sauce.
You can substitute the hot tomato sauce for regular tomato sauce if you can’t find it.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4-6
My husband’s grandfather passed away almost 18 years ago and with him went the recipe for good coubion. I have tried to replicate it several times, yeah, it never worked. On a whim, I decided to try it again and stumbled on your recipe. I have a severe shellfish allergy so I nixed the shrimp and out of fear of it not being the right recipe I bought cod and used two pounds of it. My husband was skeptical, but just sneaked a taste while he was on the phone and could not contain his excitement. This is it…its the one…he was so happy! He said this is the first time since the last time his papaw made it that he had coubion-the right coubion. Papaw was from Kinder, LA and made it the best…thanks to you, I now make it as good. You are my families hero. Thank you so much for bringing back the memories.
The Lindsay Family of West Monroe
Thank you so much for sharing your story Alice! This makes all the hard work I put in my blog and recipes so worth it. If I can bring back one great memory for a family, I’m doing my job! Thanks again.
Lisa
Your recipe sound wonderful. My mother mad one for me a few weeks ago when I was down visiting. I was raised in the gulf coast but now live in PA. I really miss our food. I couldn’t remember what all went into the Coubion so I looked it up. Your recipe is a little different from my mother’s. I think I will try both and see which one I like the best. Thank you for your recipes and continue to share them with the world. Thanks again Robin
Thank you Robin!
Hi Contessa, I am enjoying reading all the comments. I am Cajun. My parents were both born in Southern Louisiana. My father’s ancestors were from Canada, originally from France. I grew up around the kitchen table so to speak. As Rita said, we live to feed. In fact we would be offended if you didn’t “have your self a taste”. I grew up watching my mom and my aunts cook. They were all great cooks.
I just fixed Catfish Coubion last night. My grown son wants the recipe. I can tell him what I do but I wanted to compare another recipe to mine. Mine was verbally passed down. I do it a little different but the results are the same. I don’t make mine spicey because I can not eat it.
We claim all our food to be Creole or Cajun. I don’t think you can draw a line anymore. There were so many influences from both cultures.
By the way, Cajun is derived from the word Acadian.
Thank you Contessa for all the work you have put into your blog.
Thank you Gina
This sounds delicious. I have eaten fresh catfish stew all my life but never heard of coubion. I am from South Carolina and my Daddy taught me to cook. This is a little different from our stew and I’ve never thought to add shrimp! But on a bed of rice I can just taste the goodness!! Thanks for sharing. I will give it a try!
Hi there! Just made your recipe over the weekend and it is amazing…but I have a TON left over…do you know if this freezes well? Thanks!
Thank you Crissie, yes it freezes well.
bon’ soir mme! was just in here looking at your recipes, and they seem mighty fine. just put the lid on a large pot of catfish soup here in Carrollton Mississippi! as for differences, Cajun cooking is just plain ol’ country cooking, using what you have, which down there means seafood etc, and spices. creole is more exacting the way I was taught, with a little more of the “haute cuisine ” touch to it. as the denizens of old new Orleans would have had access to more in the way of ingredients and spices from all over, plus creole cooks who had been trained in some cases in the cooking schools of France. at any rate, good site with good recipes! ?
Thank you Kandy,
I really appreciate everyone enjoying my board. As I said and you can see I love good food! (LOL)
Happy New Year,
Lisa