Whiting Quenelles In Shellfish Broth

How to cook: WHITING QUENELLES IN SHELLFISH BROTH


Ingredients:


FOR THE QUENELLES
15 g (1/2 oz) butter, melted
40 g (11/4 oz) fresh breadcrumbs
100 ml (31/2 fl oz) milk
225 g (8 oz) skinned whiting fillet, roughly chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
1 egg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
100 ml (31/2 fl oz) double cream


FOR THE BROTH
50 g (13/4 oz) butter
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
450 g (1 lb) raw whole prawns, peeled and roughly chopped
3 tbsp brandy
100 ml (31/2 fl oz) dry white wine
3 ripe tomatoes, approx. 225 g (8 oz), chopped
1.5 litres (23/4 pints) fish stock
1 large leek, halved lengthways and sliced
1 large Maris Piper or King Edward
potato, approx. 300 g (10 oz), diced
generous pinch of saffron
extra virgin olive oil, to garnish


Directions:
For the quenelles, mix together the melted butter, breadcrumbs, and milk to make a coarse paste. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Put the whiting, lemon juice, and egg in a food processor with some salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste, and whizz to form a smooth paste. With the motor running, gradually add the cream. Put into a bowl, sit this in a larger bowl of iced water, cover, and set aside to chill and firm up.
To make the broth, melt half the butter in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Next, add the prawns and brandy and cook, stirring, for a further 2 minutes. Then add the wine, tomatoes, and hot stock and bring just to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Blend the broth, in batches, in a hand-held blender or food processor until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve into a large bowl, using the back of a soup ladle to push out as much as possible. You should end up with about 1.7 litres (3 pints) of broth. Set aside.
Return the stockpot to medium heat. Add the remaining butter, leek, and potato and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Add the saffron and broth and bring just to the boil. Reduce the heat so the mixture is barely simmering. Season to taste.
For each quenelle, scoop a generous spoonful of the fish mixture onto a dessert spoon. Then, with a second, equal-sized spoon, shape the mixture into a rugby-ball shape, moving it from one spoon to the other. Lower into the broth and repeat to make 4-6 quenelles. Poach for 5 minutes, turning halfway. Divide between 4-6 warmed bowls and spoon the broth all around. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil to serve.
SERVES 4-6