James Beard's New Fish Cookery - James Beard [53]
Salt
Buttered crumbs
Butter
Mix the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, beefsteak sauce, chili sauce, cayenne, mustard, and pepper and spread this mixture on the fillets. Let them stand for 1/2 hour.
Oil a baking dish and place the fillets in it. Bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). A few minutes before the fish is done, season to taste with salt. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle with buttered crumbs, dot with butter, and run under the broiler to brown.
Serve with a sauce diable (page 29) or mustard sauce (page 23).
FILLETS MORNAY
Poach 12 fillets in a court bouillon (page 18) according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Remove them to a hot platter and reduce the bouillon. Prepare a sauce Mornay (page 22), using some of the bouillon. Arrange the fillets in a baking dish and cover with the sauce. Sprinkle the top with grated cheese (Gruyère, Cheddar, or Swiss) and run the dish under the broiler to melt the cheese and brown the top.
CURRIED OCEAN PERCH FILLETS
12 ocean perch fillets
Court bouillon (page 18)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped apple
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
5 tablespoons butter
11/2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 cup white wine
Beurre manié (page 475)
Poach the fillets in court bouillon as above. Remove them to a hot platter and reduce the bouillon to 11/2 cups.
Sauté the onion, apple, and green pepper in butter until tender. Add the curry powder and white wine and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the reduced bouillon and cook 5 more minutes. If you wish a thicker sauce, add beurre manié, and stir until smooth and well blended. Pour the sauce over the fillets.
Serve with rice, chutney, and chopped toasted almonds.
STUFFED FILLETS FOYOT
8 to 10 ocean perch fillets
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
4 tablespoons butter or oil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 cup crabmeat
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Court bouillon (page 18)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup cream
1 egg yolk
Lemon juice
Thaw the fillets. Sauté the chopped onion and mushrooms in butter or oil until tender. Add the chopped parsley, crabmeat, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend well. Spread this mixture on the fillets, roll them, and fasten with toothpicks.
Poach the fillets in court bouillon as above. Remove them to a hot platter and reduce the bouillon to 11/2 cups. Add the butter and flour blended together to the bouillon; stir until thickened and smooth. Gradually stir in the cream mixed with the egg yolk. Heat thoroughly but do not let boil. Taste for seasoning and add lemon juice. Pour over the fillets.
Serve with tiny boiled new potatoes and sautéed mushroom caps.
COLD OCEAN PERCH FILLETS
This is an excellent dish for a buffet supper. You can make it as simple or as decorative as you wish.
12 ocean perch fillets
Court bouillon (page 18)
Egg white and shell
1 envelope gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
Garnish of tarragon leaves, olives, hard-cooked egg
Poach the fillets in court bouillon according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Remove to a platter and let them cool. Reduce the bouillon to 2 cups, clarify with egg white and shell (page 18), and strain.
Dissolve the gelatin in the water and add to the boiling court bouillon. Cool, and when it is almost set, cover the bottom of a large platter or serving dish with part of the jelly. Arrange the fillets on top. Decorate them with tarragon leaves, olives, and hard-cooked egg cut into designs. You may make these as elaborate as you wish. (For suggestions on decorating cold fish, see page 131.) Brush the top of the decorated fillets gently with some of the jelly and set aside to chill thoroughly.
Serve with garnishes of salade Russe (page 372), stuffed eggs and olives, and sauce rémoulade (page 35).
Ocean Sunfish
This is a peculiar round, flat fish that appears to be mostly head and very little tail. It tends to grow quite large, about 8 to 10 feet across the flat side, and has a habit of lying almost motionless near the surface