Barquettes de Laitances à la Florentine

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Shallow saucepan
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •8 small boat-shaped or 3-inch (7.5 cm) oval tartlet molds
• •Heavy rimmed baking sheet
• •Small offset spatula or two teaspoons

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach the laitances

   Combine the cold water and salt in a shallow saucepan and bring it just to a simmer. Lower in the laitances with a slotted spoon, keeping their fine outer membranes intact, then reduce the heat until the water barely trembles. Poach for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until the sacs are opaque, gently springy, and reach 145°F (63°C) at the center. Boiling makes them grainy and can split their membranes, so pull the pan off the heat for thirty seconds if the water surges. If a sac does break, don't discard it. Ça se rattrape: collect the pieces gently, chill them, and arrange them compactly in the shells.

2. 2

   Cool, dry, and slice

   Lift the laitances onto a plate lined with a clean towel. Let them cool for 5 minutes, then refrigerate for about 15 minutes, just until firm enough to cut cleanly. Remove any loose outer membrane, pat every surface dry, and cut the sacs lengthwise into small, narrow slices about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. If they crumble beneath the knife, they are still too warm; chill them for another 10 minutes and begin again with a thin, sharp blade.

3. 3

   Ready the oven

   Set a rack in the lower-middle of the oven and place a heavy rimmed baking sheet on it. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C), or 340°F (170°C) with a fan, for at least 20 minutes. The hot sheet is the home equivalent of a well-managed pastry oven: it gives the raw shells immediate heat underneath while the soufflé sets above.

4. 4

   Fill the barquettes

   Keep the chilled, unbaked Barquettes (No. 314) in their molds. Divide the sliced laitances among them in one snug layer, laying the pieces lengthwise and leaving the pastry rim clear. Don't mound the filling above the edge; the soufflé needs that space. If moisture beads on the slices, lift them out and pat them dry again before filling. Wet laitances turn the pastry beneath them to paste.

5. 5

   Crown with soufflé

   Work immediately with the freshly prepared Soufflé au Parmesan (No. 2295a). Spoon about 2 tablespoons over each filled shell and shape it into a modest dome with one light pass of the spoon. Don't smooth or press it repeatedly, since every stroke removes air the oven cannot replace. If one dome slumps, set a fresh spoonful lightly on top and leave it alone; it may rise less proudly, but it will remain tender.

6. 6

   Bake in one moment

   Set the filled molds on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 18 to 22 minutes. Keep the oven door closed for the first 12 minutes. The barquettes are ready when the pastry rims and undersides are deep gold, while the soufflé domes are risen, set at the edges, and mottled with Parmesan bronze. If the tops color before the pastry is cooked, shield them loosely with foil and continue baking. If the pastry is crisp but the domes remain pale, give them 20 to 30 seconds beneath the broiler, watching without looking away. That brief finish is the home salamander, used for rescue only.

7. 7

   Unmold and serve

   Rest the barquettes for 1 minute, no longer, then loosen only where necessary with the tip of a small knife and lift them carefully from their molds. Arrange them on a warm, dry platter without the old folded napkin, which can trap moisture beneath the pastry at a home table. Carry them out immediately, while the crust is crisp and the soufflé still holds its dome. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Laitances are seasonal. Ask a fishmonger for intact cod or carp milt sacs that are ivory to pale rose, smell cleanly of the sea, and show no greying or torn membranes. Use them the day you buy them. Hard roe is not a substitute; if milt isn't available, choose another barquette rather than pretending the difference is invisible.
• •The linked preparations remain separate for good reason. Form the Barquettes (No. 314) according to their own formula, and prepare only the home-scaled quantity of Soufflé au Parmesan (No. 2295a) needed here. Once the egg whites have been folded into that soufflé, it waits for no one.
• •True boat-shaped molds give the dish its name, but narrow 3-inch (7.5 cm) oval tartlet molds are an honest home equivalent. Avoid deep muffin wells. Their high sides delay the pastry until long after the soufflé has finished.
• •Serve these with a mineral Chablis or a dry Champagne and no ornamental garnish. The bronzed Parmesan domes are their own finish. Cooking well is not cooking fancy.

Advance Preparation

• •The Barquettes (No. 314) can be formed in their molds up to 24 hours ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Keep them unbaked, since this formula depends on the crust and soufflé cooking in the same oven moment.
• •The laitances can be poached up to 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate them covered, then slice and pat them thoroughly dry before filling the shells.
• •Prepare the Soufflé au Parmesan (No. 2295a) only when the laitances are cold, the oven is fully heated, and the shells are ready. Once topped, the barquettes must be baked immediately.
• •Finished barquettes do not hold well. The soufflé settles and the pastry absorbs moisture as they stand, so arrange the meal around serving them within minutes of baking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 110g)