Turbotin Parisienne

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •40 by 30 cm (16 by 12 inch) shallow roasting pan with a tight cover or heavy foil
• •Large saucepan for the court-bouillon
• •Two medium saucepans, one broad enough for rapid reduction
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Two broad fish spatulas
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Large oval serving platter and sauce boat

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the court-bouillon

   Combine the water, Sauterne wine, carrot, onion, parsley stems, bay leaf, peppercorns, and measured salt in a large saucepan. Bring the court-bouillon slowly to a bare simmer and hold it there for 15 minutes, letting the vegetables soften without boiling away the wine's perfume. Strain it. Measure 2 cups (475 ml) into a snug saucepan for the crayfish and keep the remainder hot for the turbot.

   Taste the strained liquor. It should be aromatic, lightly sweet, and distinctly seasoned, because the fish will absorb only a portion of what surrounds it.
2. 2

   Poach the turbot gently

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Butter a shallow roasting pan with 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) of the butter, then lay in the turbot pale side down and skinned side up. Pour the hot court-bouillon around it until the liquid reaches roughly halfway up the fish. Cover first with buttered parchment, then seal the pan tightly with its lid or foil. Poach for 25 to 35 minutes, basting once, until the thickest flesh is opaque, separates cleanly from the central bone, and reaches 145°F (63°C). The liquor must only quiver. If it begins bubbling hard, remove the pan from the oven for a minute and lower the heat to 300°F (150°C); stop the boiling immediately and the fish is still yours.

   Begin checking at 25 minutes. Turbot varies in thickness, and the thermometer tells you more than the clock.
3. 3

   Cook the Parisian garnish

   While the fish poaches, melt 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) butter in a broad skillet over medium-low heat. Add the mushroom slices with a small pinch of salt and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, turning gently, until tender and glossy but still pale. Set them aside. Bring the reserved court-bouillon to a lively simmer, add the crayfish, cover, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring once, until the shells are vivid scarlet and the tail meat is opaque and reaches 145°F (63°C). Drain them well and keep them warm. Their tails will curl neatly without twine.

4. 4

   Build the sauce

   When the turbot is ready, lift it carefully onto a warm platter using two broad spatulas and cover it loosely with parchment. Strain 3 cups (710 ml) of its poaching liquor into a wide saucepan and boil briskly until reduced to 2 cups (475 ml). Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 43 g) butter in a second saucepan, stir in the flour, and cook this pale roux for 2 minutes without letting it colour. Whisk in the hot reduction a little at a time, then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cream and up to 2 tablespoons truffle liquid, and simmer gently until the sauce naps the back of a spoon. Season with white pepper and salt. Montez au beurre, finishing with the final tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) of cold butter off the heat. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in hot poaching liquor one spoonful at a time; if it is thin, reduce it before adding the final butter. If it looks greasy, take it off the heat and whisk in a tablespoon of cold cream. Ça se rattrape.

   If the sauce has flour lumps, pass it through the fine sieve before adding the cream. There is no prize for serving the lumps.
5. 5

   Dress the platter

   Drain any liquid that has collected beneath the turbot, then coat the fish generously with sauce au vin blanc, allowing a little to pool around it. Dip the truffle and mushroom slices briefly into the warm sauce and arrange them alternately in a clear oval on top of the fish, choosing the conspicuous arrangement permitted by the dish. Place the crayfish evenly around the turbot, two for each serving, with their scarlet backs facing upward. Send the remaining sauce to the table in a warm sauce boat. Serve the upper fillets first, lift away the central skeleton, then serve the lower fillets with the border and crayfish. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for a turbotin, sometimes sold as chicken turbot: one whole young turbot broad enough to make a centerpiece but small enough for a home roasting pan. Have the fishmonger clean it, trim the fins, and remove the dark skin.
• •Use real preserved black truffle if fresh truffle isn't in season. The classical pantry solved this long ago. Truffle oil has the volume but not the depth, and it overwhelms the Sauterne rather than joining it.
• •Choose a Sauternes or Barsac with enough acidity to balance its sweetness. It needn't be the grand bottle saved for drinking, but it must taste good in the glass because the sauce concentrates everything.
• •Raw frozen whole crayfish are the practical home choice and curl naturally as they cook. Avoid peeled tails here; the scarlet shells are part of the Parisian garnish, not disposable decoration.
• •Warm the platter and sauce boat with hot water, then dry them thoroughly. This elaborate arrangement takes several minutes, and cold porcelain steals heat faster than most cooks expect.
• •A dry white Bordeaux or mineral white Burgundy at the table gives the rich sauce some edge. Serve extra bread for the sauce and never apologize when the platter comes back scraped clean.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare and strain the court-bouillon up to 24 hours ahead. Cool it promptly, refrigerate it covered, and reheat it to a bare simmer before dividing it between the fish and crayfish.
• •Have the turbot cleaned and skinned a day ahead, then keep it very cold on a rack over a tray so it does not sit in liquid.
• •The mushrooms may be sliced and cooked up to 2 hours ahead, and the preserved truffle may be sliced at the same time. Cover both separately and warm them gently before arranging the border.
• •Do not finish the sauce ahead. Its final gloss comes from the cold butter whisked in just before the platter is dressed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 350g)