Today was one of those rare days where waking up at 7:00 A.M. on a Saturday (with a caipirinha headache – thanks Michael & Enrique!) and trekking across town to Le Cordon Bleu for a full day of demonstrations and practicals, was totally worthwhile. This little red fish recipe with rouget and crispy potato scales, was so pretty and delicious that all my morning moans and groans drifted into delighted oooh’s and aaah’s. Not to mention the truffled egg starter with basil potatoes or the tropical fruit dessert with freshly baked gingerbread and homemade coconut milk sorbet. Yummmm-y!
Our superior cuisine chef knew that none of us were going to be too thrilled about an early morning Saturday class. He cleverly started off with homemade gingerbread for the dessert and baked extra to pass around for us to nibble on during the three hour demo. Just the scent of baking cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg transformed our grumpy sleep deprived class into a happily spice intoxicated bunch. Aromatherapy works.
The fish recipe, Filets de Rouget en Écailles de Pommes de Terres Croustillantes et Flan de Brocolis or Red Mullet Fillets with Crispy Potato Scales and Broccoli Flan, is simplistically beautiful and delicious. I absolutely adore rouget or red mullet for it’s striking red flecked skin and delicate fillets. The crispy potato scales that cover it give texture and compliment the rouget’s slight fishy taste. The sauce, an orange juice reduction with butter and white wine, added an irresistible summertime seaside feel. Hard not to envision eating this dish somewhere on the Cote d’Azur at a trendy open air cafe or bistro.
I find that broccoli can be difficult to get creative with. Overcooked it looses it’s bright green magpie appeal and becomes a two year-old’s nightmare. This flan, made with eggs and cream, brought out the best qualities in the cruciferous tree. The cream & eggs helps to sweeten the vegetable while the fat of both ingredients also heightens the silky smooth consistency. A little salt, pepper, and numetg et voila! Perfection!
As simple as this recipe looks, it is not easy to cook. My potato scales slid off my fish while frying as did many other’s in my group and no one could figure out why. The pics above are done by a professional – our superior cuisine chef – who makes everything look easy. I wish I could lay claim to them, but not in this case. The sauce if done incorrectly separates (mine was delicious – halleluja for that!) and the flan if not baked right will get stuck in it’s mold or worse, have browned edges. Again, my flan was super yummy…but my little red poisson, my beautiful fish lost it’s crispy scales!!! Better luck next time…
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Was the orange juice reduction sauce quite simple? I can’t see myself making something as beautiful as this rouget, but I would love a nice orange sauce to pour over cod or salmon some day!
did the gingerbread have licorice in it? in dijon they put that in. i never understand theneed to use licorice as a spice. t’s mom just gave us some plum preserves with licorice in it to spice it up. it is quite nasty. not a licorice girl at all…
HI Gillian! The sauce reduction is really easy but requires a few pots.
Sauce:
Take one shallot and mince. Add 100ml white wine and reduce to 2 Tablespoons over low heat. Reduce juice of two oranges to a syrup over low heat. Mix the two reductions together and whisk in 100g of butter little by little to make a beurre blanc sauce (that’s a lot of butter!!!!). Let simmer for 2 min. to complete emulsion and strain out shallots. You can add brunoised carrots and orange peel that have been precooked too.
Bonjour Jeorg!
The gingerbread did not have licorice in it and I wonder if it would be overpowered by the cinnamon and nutmeg. What did you think of the one you had in Dijon?
I think it’s one of those spices that is best when paired with one or two other subtle flavors not a whole bunch of strong ones.
I did have a licorice flan the other day that was delicious. Just plain milk with licorice spice and a little caramel. It was pretty too because the opaque white milk custard was flecked with little dots of vanilla and licorice.
I do like licorice, but typically the candy kind that comes in long twisted black ropes 😉
Bisous,
M.G.
I just found your blog by clicking on the link at blog top sites. Love your pictures and interesting reports about Le Cordon bleu. I’ll sure come back!
Cool. I remember I ate once the red mullet in Paul Bocuse cooked in similar style, though with a heavier reduction. Do they available all year long or there’s a in season for it?
This meal looks delicious… how can I find the recipes for the red mullet with scalloped potato crust, the orange sauce, and the broccoli flans?
thanks!