The iconic spring classic from the banks of the Gironde, featuring tender braised shad smothered in a tangy compote of fresh sorrel and crisp dry white wine.
Ingredients
- 1.4 kg whole fresh shad, gutted and scaled
- 500 g fresh sorrel leaves
- 1 piece yellow onion
- 4 pieces traditional shallots
- 2 cloves white garlic cloves
- 80 g unsalted butter (82% fat content)
- 30 cl crisp dry white wine, such as Entre-deux-Mers AOC
- 15 cl thick crème fraîche, such as Isigny AOP (35% fat)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Preheat your oven to 285°F (140°C) with standard heat for very gentle, even thermal distribution.
- Rinse the cleaned and scaled whole shad thoroughly under cold running water, then pat dry with paper towels. Cut the fish crosswise into thick steaks right through the backbone, then season every side with fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Stem the fresh sorrel by stripping out the tough center ribs on the larger leaves. Wash in several changes of cold water, gently spin dry in a clean kitchen towel, then coarsely chop. Peel and thinly slice the yellow onion and shallots, then finely mince the garlic cloves.
- In a large enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, melt a portion of the unsalted butter over low heat. As soon as the butter foams without browning, add the sliced onion and shallots. Sweat gently for 5 to 7 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Stir in the chopped sorrel leaves and minced garlic. Stir gently with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes: the greens will collapse almost instantly, turning a deep olive green to create a moist, aromatic base.
- Arrange the seasoned shad steaks directly on top of the melted sorrel bed. Pour in the dry white wine, then dot the fish pieces with the remaining unsalted butter cut into small cubes.
- Cover the Dutch oven tightly with its lid to trap all the acidic steam inside. Transfer to the middle oven rack and braise undisturbed for 120 minutes without lifting the lid, allowing the acidic vapor to completely break down the fine intramuscular bones.
- Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Using a wide spatula, gently lift out the shad steaks without breaking them and arrange them on a warm serving platter.
- Set the Dutch oven over medium heat, stir the heavy crème fraîche into the sorrel and white wine pan juices, and whisk gently for 2 minutes to bind the sauce into a smooth, velvety texture. Taste and adjust seasoning with fine sea salt or freshly cracked black pepper.
- Ladle the hot sorrel sauce generously over the shad steaks and serve piping hot immediately.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 804 kcal
- Protein
- 67.08 g
- Carbohydrate
- 9.6 g
- Fat
- 45.85 g
- Fibre
- 3.21 g
- Calcium
- 104.48 mg
- Iron
- 3.57 mg
- Magnesium
- 143.08 mg
