Fish: COLLECTION
Description
This collection presents two refined seafood preparations perfect for a special dinner. The first features tender salmon steaks baked with a vibrant, fresh basil pistou and a smooth tomato sauce, offering a bright Mediterranean flair. The second showcases delicate dace or trout fillets en crusted in a rich, velvety tarragon cream sauce, lightly gratinated to golden perfection. These dishes highlight the natural flavors of fresh fish through careful cooking and classic French techniques. Ideal for romantic evenings or impressing guests, these recipes balance richness with freshness. The salmon provides a robust, herbaceous bite, while the dace offers a subtle, creamy elegance. Both are quick to prepare once ingredients are ready, making them accessible yet sophisticated choices for any home cook looking to elevate their seafood repertoire.Ingredients
Directions
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Prepare the Pistou: Put the basil, peeled garlic, olive oil, and some salt and pepper into a blender or food processor. Process until you have a fairly thick puree. Set aside.
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Prepare the Tomato Sauce: Slice the onions and cut the tomatoes into quarters. Put them in a saucepan with 100 ml water. Cook until the tomatoes have softened to a pulp. Sieve the mixture and set aside.
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Prepare the Salmon: Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Skin and bone the salmon. Cut each piece in two horizontally. Arrange the fish in an oven dish smeared with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne, and put a dab of butter on each piece of fish.
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Cook the Salmon: Place the salmon in the oven for 2 minutes, then take it out. It will continue to cook while you finish the sauces.
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Finish the Salmon Sauce: Reheat the tomato sauce. Season it with salt, pepper, cayenne, and fresh thyme. Bring it briefly to the boil.
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Serve the Salmon: Serve each piece of salmon with a little tomato sauce underneath it. Coat with the pistou.
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Prepare the Dace/Trout: Pre-heat the oven to 280°C/530°F. Butter an oven dish with 20 g of butter. Arrange the fillets on it and season them. Add the white wine and sprigs of tarragon.
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Cook the Dace/Trout: Slide the dish containing the fish into the pre-heated oven. Leave it for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes, or longer depending on thickness. Take it out and remove the skins from the fish. Put the fish into a shallow dish and keep them hot.
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Prepare the Tarragon Sauce: Pour the liquid that remains in the cooking dish into a saucepan. Add the cold diced butter and the remaining double cream. Let the sauce reduce. Whisk in the egg yolks with all but 3 tb of the double cream. Pour the hot sauce mixture, still whisking, onto the egg-yolk-and-cream mixture. Put the sauce back into a saucepan over very gentle heat and let it thicken, whisking all the time, until it shows signs of boiling. Take it off the stove, and season with salt, pepper, and a little lemon juice.
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Finish the Dace/Trout: Whip the remaining 4 tb of cream until it thickens. Carefully incorporate the whipped cream into the sauce. Ladle the sauce over the fish. Pre-heat the grill. Put the dish under the grill and leave them until the sauce turns golden - this will not take long, only about 1 minute, so watch carefully. Serve at once.
Note
Storage: Best served immediately. Leftover fish can be refrigerated for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
Substitutions: For the dace recipe, you can use freshwater trout or pike, but the trout must have white rather than pink flesh. If white fish is unavailable, cod or haddock works well.
Tips: Ensure the oven dish for the salmon is made of thin metal that conducts heat quickly for even cooking.
Variations: The pistou can be eaten hot or cold. To heat it, whisk it while it warms over a low heat.
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