Jane Grigson's Fish Book - Jane Grigson [229]
GURNARD Triglidae spp.
Three species of gurnard are commonly caught in the Atlantic and Mediterranean: the grey gurnard (grondin gris), the yellow (grondin perlon) and the red (grondin rouge). They are easily distiguished from all other fish by their strange, mail-cheeked heads, with bony plates which give them a prehistoric, almost fossil-like appearance. The body attenuates from the large head in a cone, which lacks the elegant curves of more conventionally-shaped fish such as sea bream or herring. The flesh is firm and white, good for baking, stews and soups. It is not a fish of the first water, but it is useful and cheap, well worth buying.
One snag. The lovely colour of the red gurnard, in my experience the most commonly seen of the three in this country, means that it can be confused with the red mullet. Take a good, long look at the head and general body shape, or you may be disappointed in your expectations. Not even the gurnard’s most devoted admirer could say the flavours were comparable. On hotel menus in northern France, we have also been confused by the word rouget on the menu. Expecting rouget-barbet or red mullet, we learned the hard, unforgettable way that gurnard are sometimes called rougets-grondins.
The names of this fish reveal an interesting thing: the gurnard’s ability to make short, sharp noises. Both grondin and gurnard come from French words for growling (gronder) and for grunting (grogner). These strange sounds are made by a. special muscle in the air-bladder wall, which can vibrate many times a second: the air-bladder acts as a resonating chamber. There are other fish with the same ability, which has led to all kinds of speculation about the origin of the Sirens’ song. A shoal, say of meagre or drums (p. 459), many feet below the surface of the sea, can be heard quite clearly on board a fishing boat. Like the noises made by whales and dolphins, they have not been interpreted so far.
A practical point – the size of gurnard can vary enormously. Judge the amount you require by eye, allowing for the size of the head, rather than by weight. The recipes following are based on gurnard weighing about 250 g (8 oz) each.
GURNARD WITH A CHEESE AND WINE SAUCE
The firm texture of gurnard makes it a successful fish for a gratin. The main preparation can be done several hours before the meal, with a last-minute reheating in the oven or under the grill.
Serves 6
1½ kg (3 lb) gurnards, filleted
court bouillon* or light chicken or veal stock plus a dash of wine vinegar
125 g (4 oz) butter
3 tablespoons plain flour
150 ml (5 fl oz) scant white wine
300 ml (10 fl oz) hot milk
3 or 4 tablespoons double cream (optional)
60 g (2 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
60 g (2 oz) Gruyère cheese, grated
salt, pepper, nutmeg
60 g (2 oz) breadcrumbs
Put the cleaned and filleted gurnard into the court bouillon or stock and vinegar; there should be enough to cover it comfortably. Bring slowly to simmering point, and remove the fish the moment it is cooked. Put head, skin and bone back into the cooking stock, and continue to boil gently. Leave the fillets to drain while the sauce is made.
Melt half the butter in a small pan; stir in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the wine and cook for a further 2 or 3 minutes. Now pour in a good ladleful of the boiling fish liquor (through a strainer) – about 150 ml (5 fl oz) or a little more – then the hot milk. Simmer to a thick but not gluey consistency. Stir in the cream if used, then half the grated cheese. Season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Put a layer of the sauce into a gratin dish, then the gurnard fillets. Cover with the rest of the sauce. Mix the remaining cheese with the breadcrumbs and scatter evenly on top. Dot with the last 60 g (2 oz) of butter, and reheat in a very hot oven or under the grill until brown and bubbling.
MOULINES FARCIES À LA FÉCAMPOISE
I found this very pleasant appetizing recipe in Simone Morand’s Gastronomie Normande. It makes the best of a most obligingly