Morue au Beurre Noir ou au Beurre Noisette

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) wide shallow saucepan or sauté pan
• •8-inch (20 cm) light-colored stainless-steel skillet
• •Cotton butcher’s twine and kitchen shears
• •Wide slotted spatula
• •Small wire rack set over a rimmed tray
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Check the desalted morue

   Start with fully desalted morue, cool and pliable. Cut a thumbnail-sized piece from the thickest section and poach it in a little of the measured water for 2 minutes, then taste it; the fish should be distinctly seasoned but not harsh. If it remains too salty, soak the rest in fresh cold water for 2 to 4 more hours and test again. Drain and pat it very dry, because excess water makes the rectangles slide while you roll them.

   If the cod is still dry-salted, complete the longer desalting described under advance preparation. That passive soaking is not included in the stated 45-minute preparation.
2. 2

   Roll the paupiettes

   Run your fingers over the fish and pull any remaining bones with tweezers. Cut it into 8 squares or rectangles, each about 3 by 4 inches (7.5 by 10 cm) and roughly 3½ ounces (100 g). Split very thick sections horizontally if necessary so they will bend without force. Set each piece skin-side down, roll it from a narrow end into a snug paupiette, and tie one loop of cotton string around its middle. If a piece cracks, overlap the break on the inside and tie it gently; the poach will set the shape.

3. 3

   Poach without boiling

   Arrange the tied paupiettes in one layer in a wide pan and add enough cold water to cover them by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Heat gradually until the water reaches 175 to 180°F (80 to 82°C), with tiny bubbles clinging to the edge but no boiling across the surface. Lower the heat and hold that gentle temperature for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fish is opaque and its center reaches 145°F (63°C). If the water begins to boil, pull the pan off the heat immediately and let it quiet before returning it; a hard boil tightens the fish and can unroll your careful work.

4. 4

   Drain and dress

   Lift the paupiettes with a wide slotted spatula onto a rack set over a towel and let them drain for 2 minutes. While they remain tied, use the back of a small knife to scrape or peel away the softened grey skin without disturbing the flesh. Snip off the strings and arrange the paupiettes on a warmed oval platter. Scatter the concassée parsley evenly over them, then spoon over the lemon juice. Cover loosely and hold for no more than 5 minutes while the butter browns.

5. 5

   Brown the butter

   Put the butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat. Let it melt and foam, swirling the pan so the milk solids color evenly. For beurre noisette, pull the pan from the heat as the foam thins, the solids turn amber, and the butter smells clearly of toasted hazelnuts; immediately pour all of it over the fish. For beurre noir, continue only 10 to 20 seconds longer, until the solids reach deep chestnut and the aroma becomes more roasted, then pour. If the color races, decant the butter into the cool metal bowl at once; ça se rattrape. If the solids turn black or smell acrid, discard the butter, wipe the skillet, and begin again. Burned butter cannot be repaired with lemon.

6. 6

   Serve at once

   Spoon the butter pooled around the platter back over the paupiettes so every fold gleams. Taste before adding anything, since properly desalted morue should need no further salt. Give each person 2 paupiettes and bring the platter straight to the table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Either Newfoundland or Iceland morue suits the entry. Choose broad, firm, skin-on pieces rather than thin tail fragments; they roll more neatly and hold their shape during poaching.
• •Use real unsalted butter, not margarine. The milk solids provide the color and hazelnut fragrance that define both beurre noisette and beurre noir, while unsalted butter lets the already-cured fish govern the seasoning.
• •Concass is the book’s instruction to chop roughly. Leave the parsley in recognizable leafy pieces; mincing it to green dust would muddy the butter and make the finish taste grassy.
• •Do not add capers or vinegar. They belong to other beurre noir preparations, but this particular entry specifies parsley, lemon juice, and butter in that order.
• •Plain boiled potatoes make a sensible companion because they catch the pooled butter without competing with the fish. A dry Muscadet Sèvre et Maine has the acidity and restraint to drink alongside it.
• •Leftovers keep for 1 day in the refrigerator, tightly covered. Warm them gently in a covered dish at 300°F (150°C), just until the butter melts and the fish loses its chill; strong reheating makes salt cod fibrous.

Advance Preparation

• •If starting with dry-salted cod, soak it under refrigeration for 24 to 36 hours in at least four times its volume of cold water, changing the water every 8 hours. Test a poached trimming before shaping; thickness and curing vary, so the fish, not the clock, decides when desalting is complete.
• •The paupiettes may be shaped and tied up to 4 hours ahead. Arrange them in one layer, cover closely, and refrigerate; bring them out only when the poaching water and tools are ready.
• •The parsley can be chopped and the lemon strained up to 2 hours ahead. Brown the butter only after the fish is drained and dressed, because its fragrance is brief and belongs at the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 225g)