Special Stuffings for Fish

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Sharp chef's knife
• •Medium mixing bowl
• •Clean lint-free kitchen towel
• •Small nonstick skillet for the seasoning test
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose one farce

   Choose one method; the two preparations are complete alternatives and are never combined. Use Method 1 when a trusted fishmonger can supply very fresh milt, and keep it cold until chopping. Use Method 2 when milt is unavailable. Both quantities fill about four medium cleaned fish, though a broad shad takes more than a slender herring.

2. 2

   Soak and press

   For Method 1, soak the 1 cup (240 ml / 57 g) breadcrumbs in the ½ cup (120 ml / 123 g) milk. For Method 2, soak the 2 cups (480 ml / 113 g) breadcrumbs in the 1 cup (240 ml / 245 g) milk. Leave them for 5 minutes, then gather the crumb in a clean towel and twist firmly until no milk drips. This pressing is the technique, not an inconvenience; wet crumb makes a slack farce that leaks into the fish. If the crumb still feels pasty, open the towel, redistribute it, and press again. Ça se rattrape.

   Use fresh white crumb rather than dried commercial crumb. It softens into the filling while keeping enough structure to hold the eggs.
3. 3

   Build the milt farce

   For Method 1, chop the cold milt very finely. Combine it with the pressed breadcrumb, the equal-weight mixture of chives, parsley, chervil, shallot, and sweet basil, the crushed half garlic clove, 2 eggs, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Beat firmly with a wooden spoon until every herb is evenly carried through the mixture and the farce becomes cohesive, but stop before it turns to paste. Cover and keep cold.

4. 4

   Soften the alliums

   For Method 2, melt the butter over low heat and add the onion and shallot. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until soft and translucent without browning, then spread them on a plate to cool completely. If the edges begin to colour, pull the pan off the heat and add a teaspoon of the soaking milk to stop the cooking; the farce will be a touch sweeter, but it is rescued. Warm alliums would begin setting the eggs before the stuffing reaches the fish.

5. 5

   Build the crumb farce

   For Method 2, wrap the finely chopped raw mushrooms in a clean towel and squeeze until the cloth no longer dampens beneath your hand. Mix them with the pressed breadcrumb, cold onion and shallot, parsley, crushed garlic, 2 eggs, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Beat until thoroughly combined. The mushrooms remain raw, exactly as the preparation requires; pressing removes their excess liquor without trading their fresh woodland note for a browned one.

6. 6

   Set the consistency

   Chill the chosen farce for 10 minutes, then lift a spoonful. It should hold a soft mound and spread without running. If it slumps, first chill it 10 minutes longer; if it is still loose, work in the optional unsoaked breadcrumb 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 3.5 g) at a time and rest it for 5 minutes before judging again. If it is stiff, loosen it with milk 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 5 g) at a time. Ça se rattrape, but measured pressing usually makes either correction unnecessary.

7. 7

   Test and fill

   Cook a teaspoon of farce in a small nonstick pan until fully set, then taste and correct the salt, pepper, or nutmeg. Never taste a mixture containing raw egg or raw milt. Spoon the farce loosely into cleaned fish cavities, filling them no more than two-thirds full so the binding can swell without bursting the fish; close with kitchen string or toothpicks. Cook the stuffed fish immediately by the method in its own recipe, checking that the centre of the filling reaches 160°F (71°C). À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for milt or soft roe from a fishmonger who cleans whole male fish. It must smell clean and marine, never strongly fishy, and should be used the day it is bought. If it cannot be found, choose Method 2; that is the source's own complete alternative, not a lesser imitation.
• •Weigh the five fine-herb components equally, about 8.5 g each. Equal spoonfuls are less accurate because chopped basil, chives, parsley, chervil, and shallot settle differently.
• •Do not replace chervil with the same quantity of tarragon. Tarragon dominates this farce. If chervil is unavailable, use additional parsley and understand that the filling loses some of its delicate anise note.
• •Mackerel and herring take especially well to either farce. Shad has fine forked bones, so ask the fishmonger to prepare it for stuffing unless you are comfortable working carefully around them.
• •Stuff the fish loosely and only just before cooking. A tightly packed cavity slows the cooking and leaves the centre raw while the fish itself dries.

Advance Preparation

• •For Method 1, the herbs and breadcrumb can be prepared several hours ahead, but mix in the raw milt and eggs no more than 4 hours before cooking. Keep the farce covered and colder than 40°F (4°C).
• •For Method 2, the onion and shallot can be softened and chilled one day ahead. The mushrooms may be chopped and pressed several hours ahead, then kept covered in the cold.
• •Keep either finished farce separate from the raw fish until cooking time. Stuffing fish in advance softens its flesh and lets moisture collect inside the cavity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 110g)