Matelote (French, "female sailor") is a French stew of fish cooked in wine with onion and vegetables. It is normally made with a mixture of freshwater fish.
The term is applied very loosely to a wide variety of seafood dishes in various regions, and many synonyms exist, including meurette, pochouse, pauchouse, potchouze, and waterzoï.
Among notable regional variations, matelote in Normandy is made with cider instead of wine, and early 20th century cookbooks included eggs Matelote, or matelote sans poisson ("matelot without fish").
Note possible confusion with meurette, a Burgundian sauce made with red wine and richer inclusions.