Laitances à la Meunière

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy frying pan
• •Thin fish spatula
• •Small saucepan and fine sieve for the parsley
• •Shallow dish for flouring
• •Oven-safe oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the laitances

   Keep the laitances cold until the pan is nearly ready. Trim away only loose threads and ragged membrane, leaving each enclosing sac intact. If the sacs are unusually large, cut them crosswise into collops, thick slices about 1½ inches (4 cm) wide; otherwise cook them whole. Blot every surface thoroughly with clean towels. Handle them lightly, since squeezing forces the creamy interior through the membrane before it has set.

   If a sac arrives torn, don't discard it. Fold the loose membrane beneath it, flour it gently, and cook that piece without moving it until the underside has formed a crust.
2. 2

   Scald the parsley

   Drop the parsley leaves into boiling water for 10 seconds, then lift them directly into cold water. Drain, squeeze them completely dry, and chop them concassée, coarsely rather than to a paste. Spread the parsley on a towel while you prepare the pan. It must be dry enough to scatter freely, but the little moisture it retains will wake the final butter into froth.

3. 3

   Season and flour

   Warm an oven-safe serving platter in a 200°F (95°C) oven. Following The Cooking of Fish à la Meunière (No. 778), season the laitances lightly on both sides with about two-thirds of the salt and pepper. Pour the flour into a shallow dish, turn each piece through it, and shake off every loose patch. Flour only when the butter is ready; if the coating waits on the wet roe, it becomes paste instead of a fine crust.

4. 4

   Fry in hot butter

   Heat half the clarified butter in a 12-inch (30 cm) frying pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers without smoking. Lay in half the laitances with space between them and leave them undisturbed until the underside is golden, 2 to 4 minutes according to thickness. Turn once with a thin spatula and cook the second side until golden and the centers are opaque and just firm, reaching 145°F (63°C). Repeat with the remaining clarified butter and laitances. If a sac splits while turning, stop handling it and spoon hot butter over the exposed surface until it sets. Ça se rattrape: serve that piece split-side down, and no one at the table need know.

5. 5

   Dress the hot platter

   Arrange the laitances at once on the warmed platter without stacking them. Sprinkle over the lemon juice a few drops at a time, season with the remaining salt and pepper, and scatter the concassée parsley evenly across the surfaces. Keep the platter beside the stove. From this moment, there is no useful waiting.

6. 6

   Pour the final butter

   Pour the used frying butter from the pan. If the flour crumbs on the pan floor are golden, leave them; if they are black, wipe the pan clean. Add the 6 tablespoons of whole butter and swirl over medium heat until the foam rises, the milk solids turn pale hazelnut, and the aroma becomes nutty. This is beurre noisette, butter just beginning to brown. Pour it immediately over the parsley-covered laitances so it froths on contact. If the butter turns black or smells sharp, don't pour it. Ça se rattrape: wipe the pan, use the reserved butter, and begin again over gentler heat.

7. 7

   Serve without delay

   Carry the platter directly to the table while the butter still wears its lively foam and the crust remains delicate. Divide the laitances onto warm plates and spoon every drop of lemony butter and parsley from the platter over them. Meunière waits for no one. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Order laitances from a fishmonger rather than trusting chance at the counter. Availability follows the spawning season and the local catch. Look for plump, unbroken, pearly cream sacs with a clean marine scent; grey edges, leaking liquid, or a harsh smell mean the plan must change.
• •The source permits ordinary butter for very small pieces and clarified butter for larger ones. Clarified butter is the safer choice when four portions must pass through one home pan, since its milk solids cannot burn between batches. Whole butter returns for the finish because its milk solids, flavor, and foam are essential.
• •Dryness matters more than an extravagant source. A modest but very fresh laitance, blotted patiently and fried without crowding, will color better than a costly one carried wet to the pan. Technique first, always.
• •Serve with pommes vapeur or plainly wilted spinach, something quiet enough to catch the butter without competing with the laitances. A brisk dry white wine, such as Muscadet or Chablis, keeps the rich finish in balance.
• •Cooked laitances can be refrigerated for one day, but their fine crust will soften. Reheat them briefly in butter over gentle heat and accept the change honestly; this dish gives its finest account straight from the pan.

Advance Preparation

• •Clarified butter can be prepared several days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Bring it close to room temperature before frying so it melts evenly.
• •The parsley can be scalded, dried, and chopped up to 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate it between clean towels so it remains separate rather than clumping.
• •Trim the laitances a few hours ahead if necessary, then keep them covered and very cold. Do not salt or flour them until the pan is ready, and do not cook them ahead; the final butter and immediate service are the dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 195g)