Fish Quenelles with Herbs
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Makes 6 to 8 servings 1x
Time about an hour
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Scale
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 pounds fish heads, bones, and skin
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 peppercorns
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Stalks from a bunch of dill or chervil
- 1 1/2 pounds assorted white fish fillets, carefully picked over for bones, rinsed, and patted dry
- 1 cup snipped fresh dill leaves or minced chervil
- 2 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into bits
Instructions
- Combine the first 8 ingredients with water to cover in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes while you prepare the fish.
- Combine the fish fillets and 1/2 cup of the dill in a food processor and pulse until the fish is chopped and blended. Add the egg whites and process until just blended, no longer. Add the lemon juice, 1 cup of the cream, and a bit of salt and pepper and, again, process briefly, until the mixture is combined and smooth, but no longer.
- When the stock is done, strain it into a clean pot and bring it to a simmer. Use 2 tablespoons or your hands to form 8 to 16 ovals of the fish mixture (see illustration below), depending on size. Place them in the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn them and simmer for 5 minutes more. Remove the quenelles with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Place on warmed plates and cover with foil.
- Boil the stock until it is reduced to about 1 cup. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the butter a bit at a time. When the sauce thickens, add the remaining cream and 1/4 cup of the remaining dill. Stir and heat through, but do not boil.
- Serve the quenelles hot, with the sauce, garnished with the remaining dill.
Recipe variations
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Fritz Dumville[/caption]
Fritz Dumville[/caption]