Duo de Poissons Sauce Ciboulette = Duo of Fish in Chive Sauce

Some fish today to make a quick meal that will not tax the digestion as the main cooking method will be “en papillote” (in a foil parcel).

For contrasting colours and textures, I have chosen cod and salmon. To add taste, the sun-dried tomatoes and chives with be added to the sauce.

Serves 2:

• 2 cod fillets
• 2 salmon steaks
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped
• fronds of a fennel bulb
• 1 bunch of chives , finely chopped
• 1 glass of dry white wine
• 125ml single cream
• 2 tablespoon cornflour

 

1. Place the fillets on foil in a baking tray, sprinkle with coarse sea salt, add the fennel fronds, tomatoes and drizzle with the tomato flavoured olive oil. Close the parcel and put in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 15minutes.
2. Meanwhile, pour the wine in a saucepan, heat up and add the cornflour gradually. Whisk to avoid the formation of lumps. When the sauce has thickened, add the cream and the chives. Turn off the heat.
3. Take the fish out of the oven and place in an oven-proof dish, without the foil. Pour the sauce on top and cook in the oven for a further 10 minutes.
4. Serve immediately with steamed baby potatoes, creamed fennel bulbs or diced courgettes.

Bon Appétit!

Tip: 

If you are on a pre-Christmas diet, omit the sauce and drizzle the fish with olive oil and lemon juice just before serving.

 

 

 

Polenta and Cream of Courgettes

To answer the question of what to serve with lamb shanks cooked in red wine, a polenta came to mind.

It provided a quick and delicious accompaniment and I added some crème de courgettes. To complement the polenta, a generous topping of the cooking jus rounded the taste.

The polenta I use is a pre-cooked maize one and it is ready in a few minutes. You have to stir it constantly as it has a tendency to plop out of the saucepan if left unattended and it thickens very quickly. It sometimes looks like the lava of a volcano and it is certainly very hot!

The addition of the crème de courgettes gave a different flavour to it and incorporated the vegetables. The meat jus, essentially meat gravy with a strong red wine, was pleasing to the palate.

Serves 4 :

• 500ml salted water
• 3 tablespoons maize polenta
• For the Cream of Courgettes:
• 2 medium-size courgettes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 frozen cubes of garlic and parsley sauce
• 125ml single cream

 

1. Cook the courgettes and onion in a pressure cooker and whizz.
2. Add the cream and the garlic and parsley sauce.
3. Bring the salted water to the boil and add the polenta, stirring all the time.
4. When it is cooked (refer to the instructions on the packet for the cooking time), add the cream of courgettes and stir.
5. Transfer into an oven-proof dish for 10 minutes at 180C.
6. Just before serving, ladle some of the meat jus on top.

Bon Appétit!

Note:  I have mentioned before how to make garlic and parsley sauce, garlic and basil sauce and garlic and coriander sauce in convenient ice cube containers for some of the previous recipes. I will do a separate post to recap all that.

Or… see the post of Coquilles Saint Jacques à ma Façon

Coconut and Mushroom Pasta

A little improvised sauce for a pasta dish that does not take very long to prepare. In fact, it will be ready by the time the pasta are cooked.

On this occasion, I used the beautiful papillon shapes or farfalle but you can use anything you have in your cupboard.

Serves 4:

• 200 g farfalle, dry
• 1 medium-sized onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 2 small carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 large chestnut mushrooms, peeled and sliced
• 100g crème de Brie cheese
• 1 tin coconut cream
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste

 

1. Bring 1 litre salted water to the boil, adding 2 drops oil. Then add the pasta and cook to your taste.
2. Gently sweat the onions in a frying pan with the sunflower oil and add the carrots and the mushrooms. Stir constantly.
3. Stir in the ginger paste, the coconut cream and the crème de Brie at the last minute.
4. Drain the pasta and toss in the frying pan. Stir.
5. Serve immediately with a cool white wine.

Bon Appétit!