Since we are on the subject of food, I have to give you a recipe. First because it was kindly requested by one of my very esteemed readers, and I would never do anything to antagonise either of them ;-), but also because it seems no one can seriously call themselves a blogger if you haven't shared the benefits of your culinary creativity with some strangers.
Before we start, I have to warn you that I have chosen a recipe that may test your skills. Not your cooking skills, it is dead easy to prepare, but your shopping skills: some of the ingredients might not be that easy to find, depending on where you live. Of course, you are free to replace some of them, or even all, by a substitute of your choice. But if you do replace them all, well, it's probably an entirely different dish you'll make, and more seriously, my many experiments with this recipe have shown me that the combination I'm giving you below is probably the best one.
GRATIN DE POISSONS A LA LYONNAISE
Ingredients (for 6 people):
- 600g of fish fillets, fresh or frozen.
The original recipe calls for coley, although any white fish is suitable, as is salmon. Avoid fish with a meaty texture, like tuna. - 150g of scallops, without the coral.
Very small scallops are best. If using bigger ones, cut them in pieces about the diameter of a 50p coin. - a packet of 6 small quenelles, or 4 bigger ones.
Quenelles are a kind of soft pasta/dumpling made with eggs, a speciality of the city of Lyon in France. They are the shape and size of a sausage, and can be flavoured by adding chicken, veal or pike to the mix. Here, use the non-flavoured type (in the UK, you can buy those online). But whatever you do, buy fresh quenelles. The tinned variety are just pieces of sponge in a dubious sauce. - 150g of button mushrooms, brushed, sliced. Cans of mushrooms are fine.
- 150g of crème fraiche
- 150ml of single cream (thick)
- a small piece of butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Poach the fish in water until its texture becomes very soft. Dry it on a clean towel or kitchen paper, then flake it thoroughly using a fork (or your fingers: it works even better). Express as much water from the flakes as you can: you don't want that water to come out at cooking time.
Unless you are using mushrooms from a can, melt half of the butter in a frying pan and cook the button mushrooms on low heat. They must be cooked through, but not too soft.
Melt the other half of the butter in another frying pan, and cook the scallops also on low heat, 5 minutes covered, then 5 minutes uncovered, to avoid searing or frying them. They must be cooked through and have gained that slightly meatier texture.
Poach the quenelles in water (preferably done last) until they have expanded. Then dry them briefly and cut them in slices about as thick as your little finger.
Put all the cooked ingredients in a large bowl along with the two types of cream, mix thoroughly and season to your taste. Then transfer to a gratin dish (shallow oven-proof dish) and put the whole thing in a medium-hot oven for about 20 to 30 minutes (the top must just start to turn brown).
Enjoy, as a (rather copious) main dish with some green salad on the side, or as a starter for about 10 people.
Here is what the result must look like, more or less (like most "cuisine bourgeoise", the emphasis is on taste rather than presentation):
This is a dish that my mother used to make on Sundays for the whole family, or when we had guests. Believe it or not, it was only meant as a starter, with a full roast and a cake to follow. Looking back, I think her philosophy for these Sunday lunches was: if at the end of the meal, anybody at the table is still physically able to eat, or indeed to breathe, she has failed as a hostess. Let me reassure you, she rarely ever failed...
Wow, my very first recipe published on my blog. I feel such a domestic God, now! Just call me Marty Stewart...
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