BOUILLABAISSE, LOBSTER THERMIDOR, SCALLOPS ST JACQUES MORNAY & SAMPHIRE SCALLOPS

BOULLABAISE, SCALLOPS ST JAQUES MORNAY,  LOBSTER THERIMDOR,  SCALLOPS & SAMPHIRE, BRANDADE DE MORUE.  A FISH FEAST FOR FATHER'S DAY

DAD REALLY ENJOYING HIS BOUILLABAISSE

COQUILLES SAINT JACQUES MORNAY

COURT BOUILLON

250ml dry white wine

1 onion sliced

1 carrot sliced

1 bay leaf

4 black peppercorns

To make the court bouillon, put the wine, onion, carrot, bay, peppercorns and 500ml water in a deep pan and bring to the boil, simmer for 20 minutes.  Strain and reserve.

MORNAY

50g butter

3 shallots fine diced

3 tbsp plain flour

400ml milk

125g Gruyere grated

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the shallots and cook for approx 3 minutes, stir in the flour to make the roux and gently cook for a few minutes, don't allow the roux to brown...  turn the heat down and start to add the milk slowly, stirring after each addition until smooth, then once all the milk is added bring back to a simmer for a couple of minutes until the sauce has thickened, take off the heat and add the Gruyere and season with salt and white pepper.

SCALLOPS

Buy fresh large scallops with their shell, clean the scallops by removing them from their shell and pulling away the white muscle and digestive tract from each one, I do like to remove the roe too, clean the shells and keep for serving.

Bring the court bouillon to gentle simmer and  add the scallops, poach for only 2 minutes. remove and place in their shells, top with the warm mornay sauce and place under the grill to bubble and brown off, soooooo yummy.....

BOUILLABAISSE

ROUILLE

1 red pepper

1 slice white bread no crusts

1 red chilli

2 garlic cloves

1 egg yolk

80ml olive oil

To make the rouille remove the skin off the red pepper and roughly chop, soak the bread in 3 tbsp water, squeeze dry, put the pepper, bread, chilli, egg yolk in a mortar and pestle and pound to a paste, gradually add the olive oil and pound to a smooth texture like mayonnaise, put in the fridge till needed. 

THE STOCK/SOUP

18 mussels

1.5kg firm white fish, bass snapper, monk fish, John dory, mullet

2 tbsp ooil

1 bulb fennel thin sliced

1 onion fine chopped

750g ripe tomato's

1.25ml litres fish stock

Pinch saffron threads

bouquet garni

5 cm of orange zest

Scrub the mussels, cut the fish into bite size pieces, heat the ooil in a pan and cook the fennel and onion till soft.  Score the tomato's and pour over boiling water, drain and cover in cling film for a few minutes, which will make the skins sweat off.  Chop the skinned tomatoes add to the pan, and cook on for a few minutes, stir in the stock, saffron, bouquet garni and orange zest, bring to a simmer for approx 10 minutes, then push through a sieve and return to a clean pan, taste and season well and bring back up to a rolling simmer.  Reduce to a simmer and add the fish and mussels and cook for approx 5 minutes and serve in the sauce pan.  Serve with fresh bread and the chilled rouille on the side

LOBSTER THERMIDOR

2 lobsters live or cooked

250ml fish stock

2 tbsp white wine

2 shallots fine chopped

2 tsp chopped chervil

2 tsp chopped tarragon

110g butter

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp dry mustard

250ml milk

60g+ Parmesan grated

I have my fish monger steam my lobsters for me, as yes I am now a wimp, I used to do the deed but know I get them to do it for me lol.  I cut the lobsters in half long ways, scoop out all the meat and place to one side, I remove the rest and give it to my dog, he goes nuts for this...  The stock, wine, shallot, chervil and tarragon I place into a saucepan, boil and reduce by half then strain.  In a pan melt the butter and stir in the flour and cook the roux on a  low heat, do not brown.  Season to taste and add the milk and stock gradually until smooth, keep on a just simmer till thickens and then add the Parmesan, re check for seasoning.

Heat remaining butter in the frying pan and add the lobster and warm through for a couple of minutes, divide the sauce among the shells and add the lobster meat and then top off with the remaining sauce.  Top of with some grated Parmesan and place under the grill to warm through and brown off the top, serve brown and bubbling...