Turbotins (Chicken-Turbots)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large shallow oval gratin or roasting dish, about 18 by 12 inches (46 by 30 cm)
• •Sturdy boning or fish knife
• •Heavy fish shears
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Broad fish slice

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the oven

   Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the upper third, leaving enough space that the gratin will not sit directly beneath the heating element. Butter a shallow gratin or roasting dish large enough to hold the fish flat. Bring the prepared Gratins (No. 268) to the stage its own entry specifies for receiving the fish; keep that preparation whole, because its method belongs to its formula.

   Set the empty dish in the oven before buying the fish if its fit is uncertain. A bent tail is harmless, but a body forced up the side cooks unevenly.
2. 2

   Cut the backbone

   Lay the turbot dark side up on a nonslip board. At the thickest point in the middle of the back, make a 2-inch (5 cm) incision along the center line until the backbone is exposed. Snip through the backbone once with heavy fish shears, then run the knife tip for about 1 inch (2.5 cm) along each side of the exposed spine, releasing the flesh slightly from the bone. Do not divide the fish. This cut prevents deformation and helps heat reach the thick center, which is the principle the whole preparation rests upon.

3. 3

   Dry and season

   Rinse only if the fish needs it, then dry the skin, cavity, and backbone incision thoroughly. Season both sides and the cavity with the salt. Place the turbot dark side up in the buttered dish, spreading it naturally rather than pressing it flat; the severed backbone will let it settle as it cooks.

4. 4

   Apply the gratin

   Use the prepared Gratins (No. 268) exactly as its own entry directs for a whole fish, coating the turbot evenly and carrying the preparation to the edges without hiding the outline of the fins and tail. The linked gratin is a finished component, not a loose handful of improvised crumbs or cheese, so do not thin it or rebuild it here.

5. 5

   Bake and rescue

   Bake for 18 minutes, then begin checking every 3 minutes. The turbot is ready when the flesh beside the backbone incision has turned opaque, separates from the bone with gentle pressure, and registers 145°F (63°C) at the thickest point. If the crown browns before the center is ready, cover it loosely with foil and move the dish down one rack. If the fish is cooked but the surface remains pale, remove the foil and place it beneath a fully heated broiler for 30 to 60 seconds. Ça se rattrape. Watch without looking away, because gratin passes from bronze to burnt quickly.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Rest the turbot in its dish for 5 minutes. To serve, slide a broad fish slice between the upper fillets and the backbone, lifting the flesh away in generous pieces. Remove the exposed backbone, then portion the lower fillets and spoon the gratin and its collected juices over each serving. Bring the dish itself to the table while its butter-gold surface still gleams. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for a whole turbot between 2½ and 3 pounds (1.1 and 1.4 kg), not four fillets presented as a convenience. Serving the fish whole preserves its moisture and is the intention of this preparation.
• •Your fishmonger can make the backbone cut. Ask for one clean snip at the thickest central point, with the flesh loosened slightly along both sides of the exposed spine, but not filleted.
• •The broiler is the honest home equivalent of the salamander. Use it only after checking the flesh, since color tells you that the gratin is ready, not that the center of a thick whole fish is cooked.
• •Pour a dry, mineral white such as Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine or Chablis. The wine should clear the richness of the gratin without covering the turbot's delicate flesh.
• •Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Eat them cold the next day or warm them covered at 300°F (150°C); high heat will dry the fish before the gratin loosens.

Advance Preparation

• •Have the fishmonger gut, gill, trim, and, if desired, cut the backbone. Keep the turbot on a tray over ice in the refrigerator and cook it within 24 hours.
• •Prepare the Gratins (No. 268) according to its own make-ahead directions. The 55-minute schedule for this recipe begins once that linked component is ready.
• •The gratin dish can be buttered and the tools arranged several hours ahead. Cut and salt the fish shortly before cooking so its surface remains firm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 220g)