Turbot with scallops and cream

Turbot is the king of all fish.  It has a distinct flavour that is light but powerful.  Its singularity has inspired numerous and lavish way to prepare it.  This method is comparatively simple but the concentrated cooking liquid and the scallops make it markedly notable.

It can be cooked as fillets but, cooking it whole, gives the recipe extra flavour.

Preparation Time             20  Mins

Cooking Time                 65  Mins

Elapsed Time                 85  Mins

Ingredients

For     3  portions

80 gms            Butter

80 ml              Crème fraîche

1 tbs               Lemon juice

60 gms            Mushrooms  - sliced

3                    Scallops

1                    Turbot

For fish stock

                      Bouquet garni

                      Fish bones and head  - from white un-oily fish

1 bunch           Parsley

                      Pepper

                      Salt

2                    Shallots  - chopped

½ bottle          Wine  - dry white

Method

Make a fish stock with the fish bones and head and with the wine, shallots, parsley, bouquet garni, salt and pepper.  Cook these together for 30 minutes and strain through a fine sieve.

Poach the scallops in this reduction for 5—10 minutes.  Take them out and set aside.

Put the turbot fillets into an ovenproof dish.  Pour over the fish stock and add most of the butter, cut into dice.  Bake in a moderately hot oven for about 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, sweat the sliced mushrooms in the remaining butter, with a little lemon juice sprinkled on

them to keep them white.  Drain through a sieve to remove their juices.

After cooling the turbot for 30 minutes, put the mushrooms and scallops in the dish around it.  Add the crème fraiche, the remaining lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Finish cooking in the for 5 minutes.

To serve…

Carefully remove the dark skin and divide up the flesh (including the white skin) between three plates.  Put a scallop on each plate and spoon on the sauce – including the mushrooms.

Wine recommendations

Conventional

          Chablis

Interesting

          Puligny-Montrachet

Special

          Chablis grand cru Bougros

          Meursault