Chef Juliette
John Dory (St. Pierre)
John Dory has the delicacy of sole and the firmness of turbot. A light flouring, a quick butter sauté, and nut-brown beurre noisette show exactly why looks never mattered.
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Merlan à la Richelieu
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 1023, Merlan à la Richelieu, from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
Crisp whiting, parsley-bright maître d’hôtel butter, and a measured row of black truffle show the lesson of Richelieu: luxury works best as an accent when the fish beneath it is cooked with discipline.
Main Dishes
French
Dinner Party
Special Occasion
10 min
Active Time
5 min cook•15 min total
Yield4 servings
Merlan à la Richelieu (whiting à l’anglaise, breaded in the English manner, with beurre maître d’hôtel, parsley-lemon butter, and truffle) teaches restraint inside splendor. The crumb must stay crisp, the whiting moist and sweet, the butter bright, and the truffle no more than a dark, fragrant punctuation. Before you touch a pan, know the one true thing: truffle is a line here, not a blanket.
The book assumed six portions of Merlan à l’Anglaise (No. 1014) leaving the clarified butter together, a brigade hand ready to dress them, and a long service dish waiting warm. It asks for neither a saucier on staff, a stock never off the fire, nor a salamander; its professional advantage was timing and hands. I have reduced six fish to four and kept Merlan à l’Anglaise (No. 1014) whole as the book’s linked preparation, because its boning, breading, and fast cookery belong in that entry. The extra hands are scaffolding. The crisp fish and immediate finish are the dish.
At home, set out the softened butter, sliced truffle, and warm platter before the fish is cooked. Lay each fish on its side, give it a narrow ribbon of beurre maître d’hôtel, and place the truffle in a neat row while the butter is only half-melted. That last-minute finish is the step that matters most; delay, and the crust trades its crispness for politeness.
Merlan is a familiar fish of Parisian tables, where a modest Channel catch could be fried simply in bistros or carried into the grand repertoire through careful boning and breading. In this canonical usage, à la Richelieu is not a regional recipe from the town of Richelieu: it dresses Merlan à l’Anglaise (No. 1014) with maître d’hôtel butter and a disciplined row of truffle, making contrast rather than abundance the luxury.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
beurre maître d’hôtel
Quantity
2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g)
softened but still cool
black truffle
Quantity
12 paper-thin slices (about 15 g)
fresh, or preserved and blotted completely dry
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Merlan à l’Anglaisefreshly cooked and hot | 4 Merlan à l’Anglaise (No. 1014) |
| beurre maître d’hôtelsoftened but still cool | 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) |
| black trufflefresh, or preserved and blotted completely dry | 12 paper-thin slices (about 15 g) |
Equipment Needed
- •Long oval platter, about 18 inches / 45 cm
- •Broad slotted fish slice
- •Truffle slicer or very sharp paring knife
- •Small offset spatula or butter knife
Instructions
- 1
Stage the finish
Warm a long oval platter gently, then wipe it perfectly dry. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the beurre maître d’hôtel and shape the remainder into four narrow ribbons. Arrange the truffle slices within reach, three per fish. Everything must be ready before the whiting leaves its pan, because the crust will not wait while you search for the truffle slicer.
If using preserved truffle, blot every slice between paper. Its preserving liquid is flavorful, but on a crisp crumb it behaves like rain. - 2
Set the fish
As soon as the four Merlan à l’Anglaise (No. 1014) are ready, arrange them on their sides along the warm platter, leaving a little space between them. Handle them with a broad fish slice so the fine crumb remains intact. If an unavoidable wait has softened the surface, set the ungarnished fish on a rack in a 230°C / 450°F oven for 60 to 90 seconds, then continue at once; longer will dry the whiting.
- 3
Half-melt the butter
Lay one ribbon of beurre maître d’hôtel along the upper surface of each fish. The butter should soften at its edges and hold its shape through the center, which is the classical half-melted finish. If it liquefies and runs before you can garnish, the fish or platter is too hot. Spoon away the excess, wait 20 seconds, and use the reserved cool butter to anchor the truffle. Ça se rattrape.
Softened does not mean oily. The butter should yield beneath a knife while remaining cool enough to form a clean ribbon. - 4
Lay the truffle row
Place three slightly overlapping truffle slices in a straight row along each ribbon of butter. Add nothing else. The dark truffle, green-flecked butter, and butter-gold crumb are the complete Richelieu finish. Carry the platter directly to the table while the crust is crisp and the butter gleams. À table!
Chef Tips
- •Fresh black truffle is splendid when the season gives it honestly. At other times, use a good preserved whole truffle and slice it yourself; truffle oil cannot provide the required slices and changes the flavor of the dish.
- •The source also permits laying a few truffle slices directly over the fish. This version follows its fuller side-plated presentation, using maître d’hôtel butter beneath a neat row of truffle.
- •Merlan à l’Anglaise (No. 1014) must move directly from its pan to this finish. Holding it under a cover traps moisture and softens the crumb, so keep the platter warm and the fish uncovered.
- •Pour a taut, dry Chablis or another restrained white Burgundy. The wine should clear the butter and respect the truffle without drowning the delicate whiting.
Advance Preparation
- •The beurre maître d’hôtel can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Bring it out about 20 minutes before serving so it becomes pliable without turning oily.
- •Slice the truffle no more than 1 hour ahead, cover it tightly, and keep it cool. Blot preserved slices immediately before garnishing.
- •Arrange the butter, truffle, tools, and platter before beginning Merlan à l’Anglaise (No. 1014). The finished fish cannot be cooked ahead without surrendering the crisp crumb that defines the dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 170g)
Calories
390 calories
Total Fat
21 g
Saturated Fat
12 g
Trans Fat
1 g
Unsaturated Fat
8 g
Cholesterol
175 mg
Sodium
560 mg
Total Carbohydrates
15 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
1 g
Protein
33 g
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