Group · Condiments & sauces
Court-bouillon
Court-bouillon is an aromatic liquid (water, white wine or vinegar, onion, carrot, bouquet garni) intended for poaching fish and shellfish. « Court » means « short », because it boils only briefly before receiving whatever is cooked in it.
On nutrition facts, the entry is matched to the Ciqual line « Vegetable stock, dehydrated, made up » (vegetables), for lack of a specific line: 4.78 kcal per 100 g, with 0.51 g of carbohydrate and 0.34 g of protein. Practically nothing, and in any case, as explained below, it is not drunk.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 5 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 20 kJ |
| Protein | 0,4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 0,6 g |
| Fat | 0,2 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Vitamin B10,11 mg10 %
- Iron0,1 mg1 %
- Vitamin B20,01 mg1 %
- Vitamin B30,1 mg1 %
- Magnesium2 mg1 %
- Manganese0,01 mg1 %
- Vitamin B91 µg1 %
- Potassium8 mg0 %
See the other 2 nutrients
- Calcium1 mg0 %
- Vitamin A0,17 µg0 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
It does not count on the plate. Court-bouillon is used for cooking and then thrown away: its real contribution is nil. Our recipe calculations count it as 0 g, just like the bouquet garni. The only thing that passes into the fish is a small part of the salt.
Its value is technical. Poaching in a flavoured, slightly acidic liquid firms up the flesh and stops it falling apart. It is the best way to cook a whole fish or a shellfish, and it adds no fat.
It must never boil with the fish in it. Barely a simmer, or even the heat turned off for thin pieces. Boiling breaks up the flesh and dries out the fish, which is the classic mistake.
Start cold or hot, depending on what you are cooking. A whole fish goes into cold court-bouillon, for an even rise in temperature. A shellfish goes into an already hot liquid, to sear the flesh.
Shop-bought cubes are very salty. A homemade court-bouillon with vegetables, white wine and herbs costs less and leaves you in control of the salt. Ten minutes of preparation.
Sources
Average nutrition values per 100 g, given for guidance (spices and condiments are eaten in small amounts; values vary by brand and preparation).