Mustard Free Classic Court Bouillon

Total time45 min

Prep time10 min

Cook time35 min

4.8

(30)

Court bouillon is one of those foundational kitchen preparations that quietly elevates everything it touches — a fragrant, lightly golden poaching liquid built from white wine, vinegar, fresh aromatics, and a handful of whole spices. It's the kind of thing professional kitchens rely on constantly, and once you make it at home, you'll understand why. The combination of dry white wine, white wine vinegar, lemon rounds, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves creates a deeply aromatic base that infuses delicate proteins like fish or shellfish with incredible flavor as they poach. For anyone navigating a mustard-free kitchen, this recipe is a genuine relief — court bouillon is traditionally clean and herb-forward, and every single ingredient here is straightforward and easy to verify. No hidden condiments, no spice blends with mystery contents, just whole vegetables, fresh herbs, and pantry staples you can see and trust. After a 30-minute simmer, you strain out the solids and are left with a beautifully fragrant liquid ready to use right away or stash in the freezer for later. It's a small effort that makes a big difference in the quality of whatever you cook next.

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Ingredients

4 servings

8 cups cold water
2 cups dry white wine
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds
4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 dried bay leaves
1 tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp fennel seeds (optional)
1 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1
Combine the water, white wine, and white wine vinegar in a large saucepan or Dutch oven.
2
Add the carrots, celery, onion, lemon slices, parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, black peppercorns, fennel seeds (if using), and kosher salt.

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