Salmon with crayfish sauce

Doorstep of Salmon with crayfish and its own sauce

French cuisine is all about the sauces.  There is so much that you can do with French sauces.  This is a  delicious bisque sauce for fish.

Chef having just completed the filleting the whole salmon proceeded to cut into doorsteps
Chef having just completed the filleting of the whole salmon, proceeded to cut the salmon into doorsteps

This recipe serves 4 people

Ingredients to make the court bouillon:

Bouillon is a French word  for broth. This word comes from the verb ‘bouillir’ meaning to boil. Court bouillon  is a quickly cooked broth used for poaching  most commonly fish and seafood. 

First straining of the sauce
First straining of the sauce

600 of salmon fillet cut into 4 “doorsteps”

1 medium crayfish

100 gms each carrot, celery and fennel

fresh aromatic herbs (basil, tarragon and shallots)

pinch of salt

15 whole pepper corns

1T white wine vinegar

1.5 litre water or light fish stock

Step one – Method to make Court Bouillon:

Quality and fresh ingredients is vital to the success of the dish
Quality and fresh ingredients is vital to the success of the dish
  • Plunge  the crayfish into boiling water with  (carrot celery, fennel fresh aromatic herbs and black   pepper corns)
  • Add one T white wine vinegar
  • Cook for 4 – 5 minutes. Do not overcook.
  •  Remove from pot and cool
  • Cut crayfish head in half lengthwise with sharp knife.
  • Remove tail intact.
  • Separate crayfish meat from shells
  • 30 30gyou are left with fish stock – set aside  to use later 

 

Ingredients for the sauce:

30 g butter

250 gms mix of carrots, celery, fennel, onion, thyme and tomato diced small

small glass cognac

300 mls white wine

300 mls white fish stock

500 mls double cream (do not use single cream or it will curdle)

fresh basil and chopped fresh chives to finish

Step 2 –  Method to prepare the sauce:

  • smash the shells in a pot with end of rolling pin till pulverised
  • add butter to pulverised shells and  warm with shallots, celery, carrots, thyme , garlic and aromatic herbs
  • cook without burning , stirring all the time to ensure warm dark colour
  • add chopped tomato
Pulverising the seafood shells before placing on the heat with butt
Pulverising the seafood shells before placing on the heat with butter and other ingredients
  • add small glass cognac
  • 300 mls white wine
  • add 500 mls fish stock (made earlier and set aside)
  • Cook for 45 miniutes until syrupy consistency and there is a deeper colour. Be careful not to burn.
  • Strain the cooking liquid into new pot and reduce to syrupy consistence
  • Add 500 ml double cream
  • Reduce until it coats the back of a spoon
  • Strain again
  • Keep warm

Step three  –  Prepare salmon and crayfish for serving

  • cut cooked crayfish tails into discs divide equally between four,  set aside for serving
  • steam the salmon doorsteps (keep slightly under cooked)
  • plate the salmon  with the crayfish
  • add sliced basil and chopped chives to the warm sauce
  • coat the crayfish and salmon with the hot sauce
  • serve immediately garnished with blanched julienne of carrot, celeriac and leek

Robs parting words: “And if you want the dish to impress your guests even more add some julienne of black  truffle from Perigord. It has a great taste ” .  Optional of course due to the high cost of black truffles.

“Profitez de votre creation”   –   Enjoy your creation