Brill (Barbue)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •14 to 16-inch (35 to 40 cm) ovenproof skillet or oval fish pan
• •Two wide fish spatulas
• •Flexible filleting knife
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Large oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose the path

   The source entry is a map, not a single sauce. For hot whole fish, reach for Turbotins (Chicken-Turbots) (No. 925), the path selected here. Keep Cold Chicken-Turbot (No. 938) as its separate chilled whole-fish preparation, Filets de Soles Américaine (No. 865) as the separate hot fillet preparation, and Filets de Soles Froids Dressés sur Mousses (No. 922) as the separate cold fillet preparation. They are finished entries, so don't combine or rebuild them here; this version follows the selected whole-fish path and its meunière option.

2. 2

   Prepare the backbone

   Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). At the fish counter, ask for the central backbone to be cut once at the thickest part of the fish and for the flesh on either side of that cut to be eased slightly from the bone. If this was not done, lay the fish on a folded towel, keep your free hand well away, and use a sturdy chef's knife to make a short transverse cut through the backbone at the middle of the former dark side; then run a flexible knife about 1 inch (2.5 cm) along each side of the backbone to loosen the flesh without cutting through the outer edge. If the backbone resists, stop rather than forcing the knife. This cut prevents the fish from buckling and helps its thick centre cook with the thinner edges.

   The backbone work is a thirty-second fishmonger's job and the one piece of brigade butchery best left at the counter. Ask when ordering the barbue.
3. 3

   Dry and flour

   Pat the fish completely dry outside and inside the cavity. Season both sides with 1¼ teaspoons (6.25 ml / 7.5 g) of the salt and all the white pepper. Heat a 14 to 16-inch (35 to 40 cm) ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, add 4 tablespoons (60 ml / 56 g) of the clarified butter, and wait until it shimmers. Only now dredge the fish lightly in flour, brushing flour into the backbone cut and shaking away every excess. You want a veil, not armor.

4. 4

   Set the first crust

   Lower the fish into the skillet with its former dark side down, placing it away from you. Press gently with a wide spatula for fifteen seconds so the whole surface meets the pan, then cook without shifting it for 4 to 5 minutes. Spoon hot butter over the thicker centre and rotate the skillet if one edge colors faster. If the flour races toward dark brown, lift the skillet from the heat, lower the burner, and add the reserved 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) clarified butter. Ça se rattrape. The crust is ready to turn when it is evenly golden and releases with a gentle nudge; if it sticks, give it another thirty seconds instead of tearing it free.

5. 5

   Turn and roast

   Support the fish with two wide spatulas and turn it carefully onto its white side. Cook for 3 minutes, then transfer the skillet to the oven for 10 to 14 minutes. The barbue is ready when the thick flesh beside the backbone is pearly and separates with slight resistance, and an instant-read thermometer reaches 145°F (63°C). If the crust is deeply colored before the centre is done, cover the top loosely with foil and give it another 3 to 5 minutes. Lift the fish onto a warm oval platter, former dark side up, and rest it for 5 minutes.

6. 6

   Build the beurre noisette

   Pour away the used cooking fat and wipe the skillet clean of flour crumbs. Return it to medium heat and add 6 tablespoons (90 ml / 85 g) of the cold butter, keeping the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) nearby. Swirl as the butter foams and its milk solids turn hazelnut brown; it should smell nutty, never acrid. If the color gathers too quickly, take the skillet off the heat and whisk in the reserved cold butter to stop the cooking. Ça se rattrape. If the specks have turned black and bitter, discard them and begin again, because burnt butter cannot be argued with. Off the heat, carefully stir in the lemon juice, parsley, and remaining ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml / 1.5 g) salt.

7. 7

   Sauce and serve

   Spoon the beurre noisette over the barbue immediately, letting it settle into the backbone cut and pool around the edges. Serve the top two fillets first, lift away the backbone in one piece, then reveal the lower fillets. Pass the lemon wedges at the table and let everyone take some of the parsley-flecked butter. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for barbue or brill weighing about 3 pounds (1.35 kg), with bright clear eyes, red gills, and flesh that springs back when pressed. Technique first, always, but a whole fish gives you nowhere to hide poor freshness.
• •Have the fishmonger remove the dark skin, scale the white side, trim the fins, and make the central backbone cut. Leave the head on if your skillet is broad enough; removing it to fit the pan changes the silhouette, not the cooking.
• •Clarified butter handles the pan's first heat without burning, while whole butter supplies the milk solids that make the beurre noisette taste of toasted hazelnuts. We don't apologize for butter, but we do assign each butter its job.
• •Pour a taut Muscadet Sèvre et Maine or a mineral Chablis. The acidity meets the butter and lemon cleanly without covering the barbue's delicate flesh.
• •Chill leftovers promptly and eat them cold the next day with mustardy dressed leaves. Reheating such a delicate fish usually takes more than it gives.

Advance Preparation

• •The fishmonger can clean, skin, trim, and cut the backbone earlier the same day. Keep the barbue uncovered on a rack over a tray in the cold for up to 6 hours; the dry surface will take flour more cleanly.
• •Measure the flour, cube the butter, chop the parsley, and prepare the lemon up to 2 hours ahead. Keep the parsley and lemon covered in the cold and the butter chilled.
• •Do not flour or cook the fish ahead. The crust and beurre noisette both belong to the last minutes before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 185g)