Pike Quenelles Lyonnaises

By corlear

Quenelles de Brochet Lyonnaise

This is a large recipe which will yield approximately 45 quenelles, 3 ounces each. We made it large because of the work involved and because the mixture freezes quite well; however, you may cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients

• 1 fresh pike, approximately 3 pounds
• 2 pounds all-purpose flour
• 1 quart water
• 1 stick sweet butter (4 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 14 large eggs
• 2 pounds sweet butter at room temperature
• 1 ounce salt (2 tablespoons)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Details

Servings 45

Preparation

Step 1

Have the fish boned and skinned if you cannot do it yourself. Cut the fillets into cubes and puree a few at a time in the blender. When all the fish has been pureed, push the puree through a metal sieve using a metal spoon or your fingers. The fish must be strained as you will realize when you see the fibers accumulated in the sieve. This is the hardest and most tedious part in the making of quenelles. You will have about 1½ pounds of flesh remaining. Cover and refrigerate.

Panade:
Bring the water, butter, salt and pepper to a boil in a large heavy pot. Sift the flour. When the mixture is boiling, add the flour all at once. Mix rapidly with a large wooden spatula and cook on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring with the spatula. It is hard work to mix the panade because the mixture is quite stiff. Place the panade in a tray, cover carefully with plastic wrap (to prevent a skin forming on top) and refrigerate.

In a restaurant where one has sophisticated equipment, such as a cutter or the Cuisinarts food processor (a large blender holding 1 gallon), the fish is blended first with the cold panade. Lacking that equipment you have to have a mixer.

Place the cold panade in the bowl of the mixer, add 2 eggs and mix on medium speed until the eggs are incorporated. Repeat until you have used 10 eggs. Add the fish and mix on high speed until the mixture is very smooth. Add the remaining eggs, mix, then the butter and seasonings and mix again until smooth. The basic mixture is ready and you may divide it into containers, cover them and freeze them.

When you need the mixture defrost it for at least 1 day under refrigeration. Use it to make quenelles, stuffed fish, turban of sole or pain de brochet (pike’s bread).

The quenelles are poached in a large shallow pan of salted, simmering water. They may be shaped with 2 large spoons dipped into the hot water, 1 dishing the mixture out and the other pushing it down into the water.

The mixture may be rolled into a cylinder 1½ inches thick, and cut on a bias into pieces shaped into the form of a lozenge or diamond-shaped form about 2½ inches long. Then, the lozenge is rolled into the flour to smooth it all around.

The mixture may also be rolled into a thinner cylinder (about 1¼ inches thick) and cut into segments 3 inches long.

In any case, all the quenelles should weigh about 3 ounces each. Lower about 6 to 8 quenelles into the simmering water. You will notice that as the water comes to a boil again the quenelles rise to the surface and roll over in the water. Let them poach slowly for 10 minutes, then remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in cold water. Do not allow them to boil and do not cover them during the cooking. They should not expand during the first cooking.

When cold, remove them from the water and place them in a covered container in the refrigerator. The quenelles are now ready to be used. It is in this form that they are bought in the charcuterie in France.