Friday, July 17, 2009

Brochet Buerre Blanc

Last night, I wanted my fish prepared differently. I didn't know exactly what that meant, other than different. So, I hauled out an old Bon Appetit cookbook I bought at one of the spring book sales, started reading, and found this. The recipe calls for a whole pike, which I didn't have. I'm a New England girl. I'm pretty certain that "pike" is short for "turnpike", as in toll road. So I used a haddock fillet. Still, my dearly beloved liked it, and that's the real test hereabouts.

BROCHET BUERRE BLANC

(Pike in white butter sauce)

2 pound fish
1 finely chopped onion
1 shredded carrot
1 cup white wine
4 cups water
1 tsp thyme
2 tbsp chopped parsley

2 whole cloves

Toss everything except the fish in a wide pot (it doesn't have to be too deep). Bring to a simmer, cook for 45 minutes, turn off, and let cool. Add the fish and poach for about 25 minutes just below the boiling point.
When the fish is done, serve immediately with the white butter sauce:

Buerre Blanc (White Butter Sauce)

2 finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup wine vinegar
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
juice of one lemon

Heat the vinegar and shallots; reduce until almost dry. Remove from the heat, and add the butter one piece at a time, beating until foamy. Add the lemon juice, and serve over the fish immediately.

This recipe is supposed to have come from Normandy, I think. I scooped some of the finely chopped veggies from the fish broth and spooned them over top of our fish before adding the Buerre Blanc, and served it with angel hair in olive oil. Truthfully, I feel like the sauce recipe could have been doubled or tripled, or maybe a Bearnaise sauce would have worked as well or better. But as I said, my dearly beloved liked it, and in the end, that's what matters.

By the way, the liquid in which the fish was poached could be strained and frozen for use in a recipe that calls for fish stock. I believe the cookbook called it "court bouillon".

11 comments:

SissySees said...

It looks beautiful and tasty!

The Blonde Duck said...

How neat!

Christo Gonzales said...

this looks great! I guess all the masses were not around for this one?

A.Marie said...

Oh yummy....that looks really good! :)

Pam said...

Looks and sounds wonderful. Love the sauce.

Jackie at PhamFatale.com said...

AS a kid, I always would lick all the beurre blanc sauce. Now I eat the whole dish. Yours looks delicious!

buffalodick said...

Pike, as in Northern Pike, are tasty but has more bones in it than a snake! Walleye is sometimes called a pike, but it is not- it's more like a giant yellow perch.. You did well to switch to a different fish type!

Mickle in NZ said...

You weren't missing anything by not having Pike - they are a fresh water fish, found in England ( now learn't in the US too?) and full of bones. We don't have them here, lol.

This looks so good. Light on the tum yet full of flavour and filling too. No wonder your dear Beloved liked it.

You can tell I'm a foodie, huh?

have a wonderful weekend, Michelle

Tatersmama said...

There's no pike or haddock around here, but I think this would work well with the Whiting that the Old Guy keeps catching...
I had run out of ideas, so this might be the answer to my prayers!
Thanks for sharing!

pam said...

This sounds really good.

I like the idea of keeping the poaching liquid! It would be great in a seafood risotto.

Annette said...

That looks delicious, Marjie. Where are the vegggies??? I know you always serve two veggies!