James Beard's New Fish Cookery (36 page)

TRUITE AU BLEU

This, I am told, was originally an outdoor meal, and the trout were cooked as soon as caught. In fact, they are supposed to be alive, or practically alive, when they are plunged into the boiling acidulated water. Many restaurants have tanks of trout so that they can pull them out and pop them into the cauldron on order.

Prepare a court bouillon of 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar. Add 6 peppercorns, a part of a bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon of salt to each quart of liquid. Bring this to a boil. Plunge in the trout and poach them according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Serve them hot with melted butter and boiled potatoes, or chill and serve cold with mayonnaise.

The vinegar in the water turns the skin of the fish a vivid metallic blue, hence the name.

POACHED TROUT

Trout are delicious if they are poached lightly in a court bouillon (page 18) according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). It is better to poach them in a flat dish so that they are barely covered. It is difficult to remove them from a deep pan. Serve the poached trout with beurre noisette (page 31), shrimp sauce (page 21), sauce Béarnaise (page 26), or Hollandaise sauce (pages 25–26).

COLD TROUT IN JELLY

6 trout

White wine court bouillon (pages 19–20)

White of egg and eggshells

11/2 envelopes gelatin

1/3 cup water

Green onion or leeks or chives or tarragon leaves

Hard-cooked eggs

Poach the trout in the bouillon as above and remove them to a platter. Reduce the bouillon to 3 cups and clarify with the lightly beaten egg white and shells (page 18). Strain. Soak the gelatin in the water and combine it with the boiling broth. Chill until it is thick and syrupy.

The fish may be decorated as elaborately as you choose. Or you may prefer to serve them plain, simply masked with the jelly. If you want a spectacular dish, remove about half of the skin from the chilled, cooked trout. Then make a flower design on the flesh. Use the green stems of onions, leeks, or chives or green tarragon leaves, and make tiny flowers cut out of hard-cooked egg.

Pour enough of the jelly over the decorated (or plain) trout to mask it thoroughly. Put the platter with the fish and a bowl of the rest of the jelly in the refrigerator to chill. Just before serving, chop the rest of the jelly very fine and garnish the fish platter with it. Serve with mayonnaise (page 34) or rémoulade (page 35).

VARIATION

Reduce the broth to 1 cup. Soften 1 envelope of gelatin with 1 cup red wine or port; add to the broth. Boil a few minutes to dissolve the gelatin.

COLD TROUT WITH DILL SAUCE

Poach 6 or 8 trout in court bouillon (page 18) according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Chill thoroughly. Remove part of the skin from the top of the trout, leaving the heads and tails intact. Sprinkle with finely chopped dill, parsley, and chives. Arrange alternate slices of cucumber and hard-cooked egg on each fish. Serve with a sour cream sauce made with 11/2 cups sour cream, 1 tablespoon fresh dill, 1 teaspoon grated onion, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, and 1/2 cup finely chopped hard-cooked egg. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

PICKLED TROUT

1 bottle white wine

6 peppercorns

1 carrot, thinly sliced

4 small white onions

2 cloves

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon tarragon leaves

Pinch of thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup wine vinegar

12 trout

1/2 cup olive oil

12 thin lemon slices

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

Prepare a court bouillon with the wine, peppercorns, carrot, small onions (two with cloves stuck in them), bay leaf, tarragon, thyme, salt, pepper, and vinegar. Bring it to a boil and let it boil for 15 minutes. Add the trout and poach according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Remove the fish to a serving dish.

Add the olive oil, lemon slices, and onion to the broth. Reduce it to 1 cup and, when cool, pour it over the trout. Chill for 24 hours before serving.

These may be served with their own marinade for the sauce, or with mayonnaise. A salad of cucumbers, tomatoes stuffed with cucumbers, or salade Russe are good additions.

SMOKED TROUT

This is a rare treat if you can come by it. Skin the trout, cut it into long fillets, and serve with lemon for a truly distinctive hors d’oeuvre.

Whitefish

One of the most important freshwater food fishes, whitefish comes from the Great Lakes, from small lakes in many sections of the country, and from very far north in Canada. The supply has been noticeably reduced by overfishing and also by the activity of an eel called the lamprey, which attaches itself to the fish and chews off the flesh. The Fish and Wildlife Service of the government is now dealing effectively with this problem.

Whitefish available in the markets weighs from 2 to 6 pounds and is sold whole or in fillets. Smoked whitefish is sold widely in the East and Middle West as well.

Whitefish roe can be lightly salted and made into a caviar that is excellent if well prepared. There used to be a great deal of this in the markets, and you may find it today from time to time.

BROILED WHITEFISH

You may broil either the fillets or the whole fish, split or round. Follow the directions for broiling, pages 9–10.

Serve with lemon butter (page 31), maître d’hôtel butter (page 31), or parsley butter (page 33).

WHITEFISH SAUTÉ MEUNIÉRE

The small fish may be sautéed whole, or you may use fillets. Follow directions for sauté meunière, page 10.

VARIATIONS

1. Sprinkle the fish heavily with sesame seeds after sautéing and put them in a hot oven or under the broiler flame to brown the seeds.

2. Add buttered almonds, chopped or slivered, to the pan while the fish are cooking.

3. Add small mushroom caps while the fish are cooking.

OVEN-FRIED FILLETS OF WHITEFISH

Soak the fillets in salted milk for 1 hour. Roll them in crumbs and arrange on a well-oiled baking dish. Pour melted butter over them and bake at 450° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8).

Serve with a tartar sauce (pages 35–36), sauce gribiche (pages 36–37), or with lemon (page 31) or parsley butter (page 33).

BAKED WHITEFISH

Clean a 4- or 5-pound whitefish. Rub with oil, butter, or fat and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place it in a well-oiled baking dish and bake at 450° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Baste frequently during the cooking. Serve with parsley potatoes and grilled tomatoes.

BAKED STUFFED WHITEFISH

Prepare the fish for stuffing. Leave the head and tail on. Prepare a stuffing (pages 39–41), stuff the fish, and sew it up. Place it on a well-oiled baking dish, strip it with bacon or dot it with butter, and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 450° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Transfer the fish to a hot platter with the aid of two spatulas.

Serve with lemon wedges, lemon butter (page 31), or anchovy butter (page 32). Accompany the stuffed fish with boiled new potatoes heavily sprinkled with parsley and tiny green peas cooked with a little onion.

VARIATIONS

1. Make a fish forecmeat (page 41) to use as stuffing. Sew up the whitefish. Chop 8 to 10 shallots or small green onions and place them in the bottom of a well-oiled baking dish. Top these with the fish, dot it with butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and pour 11/2 cups of white wine over all. Bake as above, basting frequently. Remove the fish to a hot platter.

Force the pan juices through a sieve or mix in a blender. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream mixed with 2 egg yolks. Stir over medium heat until the mixture thickens slightly, but do not let it boil. Taste for seasoning and pour over the fish. Serve with rice and a spinach puree.

2. Sauté slices of Spanish onion in butter until soft but not colored. Stuff the whitefish with slices of the onion alternated with sliced, peeled tomato, thinly sliced mushrooms, and chopped parsley. Salt and pepper to taste and dot with butter. Sew up the fish and place it on a well-oiled baking dish. Brush it with oil, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and bake as above. Serve with a tomato sauce and buttered noodles or macaroni.

HELEN EVANS BROWN’S CHINESE STEAMED WHITEFISH

This is cooked in the typical Chinese manner. The fish is stuffed and arranged on the dish in which it is to be served. Then the dish is set on a rack over hot water, a lid is clamped on tightly, and the fish steams until it is done. If you want the fish to be really handsome, arrange it in an S-shape with the split, stuffed side underneath. You can secure it with the aid of a long skewer. Here is the recipe:

1 cup ground Virginia ham

3/4 cup sherry

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons grated ginger

6 minced green onions

1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts

3- or 4-pound whitefish

1/4 cup of water

Prepare a stuffing with the ham, 1/4 cup of the sherry, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, the ginger, onions, and water chestnuts. Stuff the fish and sew it, or secure it with skewers or toothpicks. Arrange it on the serving dish and place the dish on a rack in a large steamer. Pour over the fish the remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1/2 cup sherry, and the water. Pour hot water in the bottom of the steamer, being careful not to get any in the serving dish. Cover the steamer tightly and steam until the fish is tender — about 25 minutes.

Serve with rice.

POACHED WHITEFISH

This delicate fish takes very well to poaching. Be careful not to overcook it, and remove it remove it from the boiler very gently. The old method of wrapping fish in cheesecloth is excellent; it’s a good idea to leave long ends of the cloth that you can use as handles when you lift the fish. Of course, a real fish boiler with a rack solves the problem.

Poach the fish in a court bouillon (page 18) or in a mixture of milk and water — perfect with this type of fish. Follow the Canadian cooking theory for poaching on page 12.

There is a wide variety of sauces to use with poached white-fish. Personally, I like an oyster or shrimp sauce (page 21), but Hollandaise (pages 25–26) and Béarnaise (page 26) go well with it, too. Serve plain boiled potatoes and a puree of spinach mixed with a little grated garlic, grated Parmesan cheese, and butter.

COLD WHITEFISH

A whole poached whitefish that has been chilled makes a very good buffet dish or a good dish for any summer meal. Or you may serve it as a first course at dinner, followed by game or a red meat. This combination gives you a chance to serve a nice contrast of wines.

Garnish the whitefish with cucumbers in sour cream and dill and hard-cooked eggs stuffed with caviar in the yolks. If you use the fish as a luncheon dish, serve a real French potato salad made with a white wine and olive oil dressing, with the addition of a few slivered almonds and onion. An outstanding dressing for cold poached whitefish served as a salad or hors d’oeuvre course is mayonnaise mixed with lemon juice, finely chopped hard-cooked egg, caviar, grated onion, and just a touch of sherry or Madeira.

SMOKED WHITEFISH

Smoked whitefish is one of the greatest fish delicacies. The meat, being delicate and fat, lends itself to the smoking process as readily as sturgeon, salmon, or eel. I enjoy it served with cocktails or as a first course.

To serve with cocktails: Remove the skin and arrange the whole fish, with head and tail intact, on a bed of watercress. Garnish with wedges of lemon and have several fish knives available. On another plate arrange some buttered strips of pumpernickel and let people help themselves. If you want to do something especially fancy, accompany this with a bowl of caviar and some finely chopped onions.

To serve as a first course: Place a section of smoked white-fish on a bed of watercress. Garnish with a lemon wedge, some chopped onion and parsley. Thin sandwiches of buttered pumpernickel are a must.

SUNDAY BREAKFAST SPECIAL

Friends of mine serve a Sunday breakfast that is a delight. Their handsome oval table is dominated by a huge platter of smoked whitefish, smoked salmon, and smoked sturgeon with thinly sliced Bermuda onion and lemon wedges. When the guests are seated, a big dish of fluffy scrambled eggs is brought in, steaming hot, and hot rolls and toasted bagels are passed. This is a superb combination of flavors.

WHITEFISH ROE

The fresh roe of whitefish is very good when sautéed or poached. See directions for cooking shad roe, pages 222–224.

Yellow Perch

Many people think that the yellow perch is one of the best flavored of freshwater fishes. A small greenish-golden fish easily obtainable in markets in the Middle West, it is caught commercially in rather large quantities in the Great Lakes, and anglers take it in unrecorded quantities from lakes, streams, and ponds of the interior. It has been transplanted successfully to lakes in the Far West.

The yellow perch seems to flourish best in lakes. It likes shallow water and the company of its kind. Seldom exceeding 12 inches in length or 1 pound in weight, it is a relative of the sauger and pike perches and can be cooked in the same way. See pages 331–332.

Shellfish