Merlan à la Bercy

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Shallow 13 by 9-inch (33 by 23 cm) ovenproof serving dish
• •Small sharp filleting knife
• •Long-handled basting spoon
• •Fish spatula
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Small saucepan for correcting the reduction

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare fish and oven

   Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C) with a rack in the upper third. Pat the whiting dry inside and out. If the fishmonger hasn't opened them down the back, make a shallow lengthwise cut through the thick flesh on each side of the backbone, stopping before the fish lies flat. This small opening lets heat reach the thickest part at the same pace as the thin belly. Season lightly, remembering that the fumet will reduce and become saltier.

2. 2

   Build the baking bed

   Rub 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) of the softened butter over the bottom and sides of a shallow 13 by 9-inch (33 by 23 cm) ovenproof dish. Scatter the chopped shallots evenly across the base and lay the fish over them in one close layer. Pour the white wine and 6 tablespoons (90 ml / 90 g) of fish fumet around and over the whiting. Divide the remaining 4 tablespoons (60 ml / 57 g) butter among the fish, exactly 1 tablespoon, or about one-half ounce, on each.

3. 3

   Bake and baste

   Bake uncovered and begin basting after 3 minutes, tilting the dish carefully and spooning the wine, fumet, melted butter, and shallots over every fish. Baste again every 2 to 3 minutes and begin checking at 10 minutes. Watch the fish and liquid as one clock: the flesh should become opaque and release cleanly from the backbone just as the liquor reduces to a shallow, glossy layer. If the dish goes nearly dry before the fish is cooked, add 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) of the reserved fumet around the edge and continue basting. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Correct the reduction

   The whiting is done when the thickest flesh reaches 145°F (63°C), looks pearly rather than translucent, and separates cleanly from the backbone, usually after 12 to 16 minutes. Ideally, only 2 to 3 tablespoons of glossy liquor remain. If the fish is ready while the liquid is still watery, lift it carefully to a warm platter and pour the liquor and shallots into a small saucepan. Boil for 1 to 3 minutes until it coats a spoon without leaving a watery ring, then return everything to the baking dish. If the butter looks oily instead of joined to the reduction, take the pan off the heat and shake or whisk in 1 teaspoon of reserved fumet. Do not add flour; reduction is the sauce here.

5. 5

   Glaze under broiler

   Switch the oven to high broil. Spoon the reduced liquor and shallots over the whiting, then place the dish about 6 inches (15 cm) below the heat for 30 to 60 seconds, just until the buttered skin catches a faint gold and the glaze clings. Stay beside it. Whiting is delicate, and a dark crust bought with dry flesh is no bargain.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle each fish with only a few drops of lemon juice, followed by the chopped parsley. Taste the shallot glaze and add the remaining salt only if it needs it. Serve one whole whiting per person, spooning the buttery reduction from the dish over each fish. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Merlan means true whiting, a small, lean fish with fine flesh. Ask for fish of roughly equal size, with clear eyes, bright skin, and a clean sea scent; mismatched fish will not finish together, and timing is the entire dish.
• •Use a finished fish fumet that is light in colour and restrained in salt. This cooking liquor reduces almost completely, so a heavily seasoned fumet becomes harsh. Keep the referenced fumet whole as its own preparation; this recipe reaches for it ready-made.
• •The baking dish controls the reduction. Four fish should fit closely in one layer with a little room for liquid around them. A dish much larger dries too quickly, while a crowded or deep vessel traps too much liquor.
• •Choose a dry, brisk white wine without obvious sweetness or heavy oak. Pour the same wine at the table, with plain boiled potatoes or buttered spinach beside the fish to catch the Bercy glaze.
• •Merlan à la Bercy waits badly once cooked. If dinner is delayed, prepare every component and hold the fish cold, then assemble and bake when the table is nearly ready.

Advance Preparation

• •The fish fumet can be prepared in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Bring it close to room temperature before adding it so the cold liquid does not slow the fish's cooking.
• •Ask the fishmonger to scale, gut, trim, and open the whiting down the back earlier the same day. Keep the fish on a rack over a tray in the cold, lightly covered, then dry them thoroughly before baking.
• •The shallots may be chopped several hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Wash and dry the parsley ahead, but chop it shortly before serving so it keeps its fresh green colour.
• •Do not bake the assembled dish in advance. The reduction and the whiting must finish together, and reheating turns this fine fish dry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 170g)