It's not too cold yet, so dishes that aren't too heavy can be served on the table. Yes, fish, butter and tomatoes sound more like spring, but the herbs bring enough winter flavors to make this cod a good option to serve before Christmas.
We used cod for this recipe, but cod, haddock or trout also work well (but these should not be portioned, but rather prepared whole).
Ingredients for 4 persons:
- 2-3 tbsp court bouillon powder "La Jonchère"
- 200 ml Leblanc champagne vinegar
- 1 celeriac
- 2-3 slices of lemon
- 1 small fennel bulb
- 1-2 stalks of leeks
- 5 shallots
- approx. 10 peppercorns (white pepper, preferably Kampot pepper)
- 500 ml water
- 500g panicle (!) cherry tomatoes
- 3 carrots
- Poivre long
- 2-3 tbsp Leblanc tarragon mustard
- Raw milk butter
- 800g to 1kg of fish, here: cod (Baltic Sea)/cod (North Sea), but haddock or trout are also suitable
- olive oil
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- some garden cress
- some brown sugar (demerara sugar)
- 2 sprigs of leaf parsley
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Salt
- as a side dish, new potatoes
Preparation:
Leave the cherry tomatoes on the vine and wash them. Place on a tray and drizzle with olive oil, add one or two crushed garlic cloves, a sprig of thyme and a sprig of rosemary and sprinkle with a little brown sugar. Place in the oven at 100°C for 40 to 45 minutes.
Prepare the court bouillon. To do this, cut 1-2 shallots, the leek (the lower third approx.), half a fennel bulb and half a celeriac into rough pieces, two slices of lemon, 2 tablespoons of court bouillon powder, approx. 10 peppercorns, 200 ml of champagne vinegar and put half a liter of water in a pot. Bring to the boil briefly, then reduce the heat and let the whole thing simmer slowly so that everything is thoroughly absorbed.
In the meantime, put a pot of water with a little salt to blanch.
Peel the carrots and the other half of the celeriac, wash the remaining leek and then cut everything into strips approx. 5 cm long, halve them and cut them into thin strips (Julienne, see picture 4). Once the blanching water is boiling, add the carrot julienne, 30 seconds later add the celery julienne. 30 seconds later add the leek julienne and cook for another 5 seconds, then immediately drain everything into a sieve and rinse with cold water. The vegetables should be al dente. New potatoes or boiled potatoes, which you should put on now, are a suitable side dish.
Now add a sprig of thyme and some parsley on the stem to the court bouillon, turn the heat up to medium until just before the boiling point. After about 5 minutes, remove the herbs, otherwise they will become bitter. Season the court bouillon to taste, if necessary add a little more court bouillon powder or vinegar. The stock should taste like a broth: aromatic and slightly sour. Now portion the fish and place it in the stock, let it simmer, but do not boil. The fish must be covered by the liquid. Depending on the size of the pieces, we recommend letting the fish simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
For the sauce: Now for the tarragon-mustard butter, peel 2 shallots and cut them into brunoise (finest cubes).
Sauté the shallot brunoise with a small piece of butter (approx. 1 tbsp), deglaze with a dash of court bouillon and a little white wine, then add approx. 2 tbsp of tarragon mustard and stir everything together. Add a few pieces (1 teaspoon each) of COLD butter and stir in until you get a nice, creamy consistency. Under no circumstances should you let the tarragon butter boil again, otherwise it will flocculate.
Melt some butter in a pan, add the vegetable julienne and fry briefly until it is hot. Season with salt and pepper. Bon appetite!
