Brill fillets Florentine

This dish is reasonably complex to prepare, but is well worth the effort.  As the work “Florentine” implies it has a base of spinach and is topped with crispy Mornay sauce.

It makes an excellent supper dish, a starter or a fish main course.

Preparation Time             50  Mins

Cooking Time                 20  Mins

Elapsed Time                 1.5  Hrs

Ingredients

For     2  portions

1                    Brill

30 gms            Gruyère cheese  - grated

                      Pepper

                      Salt

30 cl               Stock  - fish

110 ml             Wine  - dry white

For the Béchamel base of the Mornay sauce

1                    Bay leaf

10 gms            Butter

30 gms            Flour

1 blade            Mace

500 ml             Milk

                      Nutmeg  - grated

1 slice             Onion

                      Pepper

                      Salt

For the Mornay sauce

2 tbs               Cream  - double

2                    Egg yolks  - beaten

75 gms            Gruyère cheese  - grated

1 tbs               Milk

To cook the spinach

25 gms            Butter

1 pinch            Nutmeg

                      Salt

340 gms          Spinach

Method

Prepare a Béchamel sauce at a basis for the Mornay sauce…

Gently heat the milk with the bay leaf, onion and mace.  Remove from the heat just as the milk boils, cover the pan and set aside for at least 30 minutes.  Strain the milk and discard the flavouring ingredients. Melt the butter over a low heat in a heavy based saucepan.  Add the flour and stir briskly until the mixture is smoothly blended, without allowing it to change colour.  Gradually stir in the milk and bring to the boil, beating well to prevent any lumps forming.  Season with salt and pepper and a little grated nutmeg.  Simmer the sauce gently for 3-5 minutes, stirring from time to time.

To make the Mornay sauce…

To the Béchamel sauce add the Gruyère cheese and stir until all the cheese has melted.  Take the sauce from the heat and add the egg yolks beaten with the milk. Bring slowly to the boil, whisking all the time.  Remove from the heat and add the cream. 

To cook the spinach…

Wash the spinach and remove any tough stalks.  Put the leaves into a saucepan and sweat until cooked.  Drain as thoroughly as possible.  Then transfer the spinach to a frying pan with a pinch of salt, a little pepper, the nutmeg and 25 gms of the butter.  Heat through gently.

To prepare and cook the fish…

Fillet the brill and, if desired, skin the fillets by sliding a sharp knife between the skin and the flesh.   Boil the discarded parts of the fish in water to make a fish stock. Cut each large fillet into 3 diagonal slices and each small fillet into 2 slices.  Flatten them slightly with a meat mallet and put them into a buttered flameproof dish.  Season with salt and pepper and cover with greaseproof paper.

Twenty minutes before serving, pour the wine and fish fumet on to the fish fillets.  Add about half of the remaining butter, cut into pieces, bring to the boil on top of the stove, then finish cooking in a moderately hot oven (170°C) until the fish is white and firm to the touch (about 15 minutes).

To assemble and finish the dish…

Spread the spinach on a flameproof serving dish and arrange the brill fillets on top.  Reduce the cooking liquid rapidly to 2-3 tbs at the most and add to the Mornay sauce.  Cover the fillets with this sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese and the remaining butter, melted.  Glaze in a hot oven.

Wine recommendations

Conventional

          Côte Chalonnaise blanc

Interesting

          Arbois blanc

          Crozes Hermitage blanc

          Pinot Blanc

Special

          Montagny