Episode 134: Fish

Haddock Mousse Stuffed Trout w/ Butter Sauce
Halibut Steaks in Parchment w/ Mushrooms & Tarragon
Sesame Seed Crusted Medallions of Cod w/ a Red Wine Sauce & Pine Nut Spinach

HADDOCK MOUSSE STUFFED TROUT WITH BUTTER SAUCE

400g (14 oz) skinless and boneless center-cut trout filet
Salt for seasoning
Freshly ground pepper for seasoning
2 cups of fresh spinach - (500ml)
1 ¼ cups (10 oz or 300g) haddock mousse - (310ml)

Mousse
7 oz of skinless and boneless haddock filet - (200g)
¼ medium onion
Salt & pepper for seasoning
Nutmeg for seasoning
Cinnamon for seasoning
1 egg white
2/3 cup light cream - (150ml)

Butter sauce
4 minced shallots
Freshly ground pepper for seasoning
1 tablespoon of butter - (15ml)
Nutmeg for seasoning
¾ cup of dry white wine - (175ml)
1 ¼ cups of whipping cream - (310ml)
1 ¼ cups of concentrated fish stock - 310ml)
6 tablespoons of room temperature unsalted butter - (90ml)
Juice of one Lemon

Preparation Time: 20 minutes, Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Submerge your spinach in the water for 30 seconds. Quickly remove it and dunk it into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.

Place the cool spinach on a towel, pat dry.

Place the trout between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound it lightly to even out thickness. Remove only the top piece of plastic wrap and season flattened fillet with salt and pepper. Cover with blanched spinach.

For the mousse cut the haddock fillet into strips and place them into food processor. Add onion, salt & pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon and egg white to the mix. While blending, gradually mix in cream and beat until light and fluffy.

Take this mixture, also known as forcemeat and spoon a layer on top of the spinach.

With the help of the plastic wrap roll up the fish, making sure to keep the ends of the wrap on the outside at all times. Tie the ends. Do same with other trout fillet.

Place the fish in a perforated pan over boiling water and cover and steam for approximately 15 minutes.

Meanwhile make butter sauce. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add shallots and sauté until tender. Add ground pepper and dry white wine. When the wine has reduced and the onions are almost dry, add the cream and fish stock (fumet).

Beat in butter a few squares at a time. Make sure not to let sauce boil after adding butter, season with salt & pepper, and some fresh nutmeg.

Spoon sauce into the centre of each serving plate and remove the finished trout from steamer. Cut slices on a diagonal and place trout on top of sauce.

Serve and enjoy!

Yields: 4 servings
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HALIBUT STEAKS IN PARCHMENT WITH MUSHROOMS AND TARRAGON

2 Halibut steaks, 1 inch thick (6-8 oz. each) - (250grams)
2 tablespoons of melted butter - (30ml)
Parchment paper
4 oz of sliced mushrooms - (125ml)
2 fresh tarragon sprigs - tops reserved & leaves finely cut
Salt & pepper - for seasoning
1 medium sliced zucchini
1 egg white

Preparation Time: 20 minutes, Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Preheat oven to 375°F - (185°C)

Rinse halibut under cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Set aside

Fold a 15- by 13-inch piece of parchment paper in half crosswise to make a rectangle 13 inches by 7 1/2 inches. Draw a half-heart, beginning and ending at the folded edge, and cut along the line. Repeat this so that you have two pieces of parchment ready to go.

Open each paper and brush one half with some of the melted butter, leaving a 1-inch border unbuttered.

Combine chopped mushrooms, chopped tarragon (or half the dried tarragon), the lemon juice, salt & pepper in a bowl. Stir thoroughly to coat the mushrooms

Bring the mushroom blend and spread over the buttered portion of the parchment, then set a halibut on top of each. Season the halibut with salt & pepper and arrange zucchini slices, slightly overlapping, lengthwise along the center of the fish. Top with the reserved tarragon tops, or sprinkle with dried.

Brush the edges of the parchment paper with egg white. Transfer the paper packages to a baking sheet. The packages can be made up to two hours in advance and refrigerated until it is time to cook.

Bring the sheet to the heated oven and bake until puffed and light browned, for about 12-15 min. Relocate to dinner plates and serve. Make sure to pinch the top of the parchment and rip open, realising mouth watering aromatic steam.

Yields: 2 servings
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SESAME SEED CRUSTED MEDALLIONS OF COD WITH A RED WINE SAUCE & PINE NUT SPINACH

4 cod medallions - 150g (5 oz) skin on Salt & pepper

Crust:
1 teaspoon sesame oil - (5ml)
½ cup of white sesame seeds - (125ml)
2 diced fresh pimentos
1 clove of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of ground fennel seed - (5ml)
1 teaspoon of ground Cumin - (5ml)
1 teaspoon of celery seed - (5ml)
1 teaspoon of sugar - (5ml)
Freshly cracked Black Pepper to taste
Salt - for seasoning

Fish:
Salt and Pepper for seasoning
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil - (30ml)
2 tablespoons of lime juice - (30ml)
2 tablespoons of honey - (30ml)
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper - (5ml)
8 chives, chopped
2 tablespoons of butter - (30ml)

Red wine sauce:
1 ¼ cups of red wine - (310ml)
1 half of a chopped onion
1 tablespoon of concentrated beef stock - (15ml)
1 tablespoon of sugar - (15ml)
Salt & pepper for seasoning

Butter sauce:
2 tablespoons of chopped shallots - (30ml)
2 tablespoons of butter - (30ml)
½ cup of white wine - (125ml)
½ cup of fish stock - (125ml)
2/3 cup of cold unsalted butter - (150ml)
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Lemon juice
2 tablespoons of chopped chives - (30ml)

Spinach:
2 cups of fresh cleaned spinach - (500ml)
½ cup of pine nuts - (125ml)
2 tablespoons of butter- (30ml)

Preparation Time: 20 minutes, Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Red wine sauce
Combine red wine, onion and beef stock in a small saucepan and sauté. Let it reduce by two thirds.

Butter sauce
In a skillet sauté shallots in 2 tablespoons of butter and add white wine and fumet and reduce by two thirds. Add the cold unsalted butter in bits. Don't let sauce boil and season with salt and pepper.

Crust
Heat sesame oil in a skillet and add sesame seeds, fresh pimentos, garlic, ground fennel seed, ground cumin, black pepper, celery seed, salt and sugar. Sautee until lightly toasted.

Fish
Dry cod medallions with a paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a new skillet with hot vegetable oil. Sear for a few minutes per side to develop a nice crust. Be vigilant, for it is delicate fish. Remove the medallions from the skillet.

Place your toasted crust on a large plate. Brush the medallions with a honey, then coat with sesame seed crust.

Now, going back to the red wine sauce season with salt and pepper and add sugar.

Drizzle fresh lemon juice into your reduced butter sauce. Stir in your chives.

Melt butter in a skillet. Add spinach and sauté until just wilted. Add pine nuts and toss.

Place spinach in the middle of the plate and top with cod medallions. Pour butter sauce in a ring around the spinach. Pour red wine sauce in a second ring around the butter sauce to form 2 concentric circles. Top with 2 chive stalks.

Serve and enjoy!

Yields: 4 servings
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Recipes courtesy of Chef Michael Bonacini of Toronto’s Oliver Bonacini Restaurants, including ‘Canoe’; ‘Auberge du Pommier’; ‘Biff’s’; ‘Jump Café’; & ‘Steakfrites’