Braised megrim with vermouth and Veronique sauce with green grapes

Ingredients

• 360 g very fresh skinless megrim fillets
• 120 g seedless green grapes
• 100 ml dry white vermouth
• 180 ml fish stock
• 40 ml reduced veal jus
• 120 ml heavy whipping cream
• 160 g fresh chanterelles
• 1 piece shallot
• 45 g unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp white balsamic vinegar
• 4 pieces juniper berries
• 1 pinch smoked sweet paprika
• 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 piece untreated lemon
• to taste fine salt
• to taste ground white pepper

Method

1. Take the megrim fillets out of the refrigerator and pat them carefully dry, then lightly salt the flesh side. Let them relax on a plate for 15 minutes: the surface should become satiny, never damp.
2. Prepare the grapes: cut them in half lengthwise. If the skin seems thick, briefly dip them in simmering water, cool them, then peel them with your fingertips. Keep the grapes chilled to preserve their brightness.
3. Clean the chanterelles with a brush or damp cloth. Avoid soaking them: they must remain firm and dry so they brown instead of boiling.
4. In a small sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chanterelles and let them sear without stirring too much, until they sing in the skillet and their moisture evaporates. Add some of the butter, a touch of salt, and the smoked sweet paprika, then cook until the edges are golden and slightly crisp. Keep warm.
5. In a low saucepan or sauté pan just wide enough to hold the fish, melt some butter over low heat. Add the finely chopped shallot and the lightly crushed juniper berries. Cook without browning until the shallot becomes translucent and smells soft, almost sweet.
6. Deglaze with the dry white vermouth. Bring to a simmer and reduce until the alcohol no longer pricks the nose and the aroma becomes herbal and rounded.
7. Add the fish stock and reduced veal jus. Simmer gently to create a glossy braising base. The liquid should form small, regular bubbles, never boil hard.
8. Place the megrim fillets in the pan, with the thickest side toward the center. Cover with parchment paper pressed directly onto the surface, or with a slightly ajar lid. Braise over very low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, depending on thickness: the fish is ready when the edges contract slightly, the flesh becomes pearly, and it separates into flakes under gentle pressure.
9. Carefully remove the fish with a wide spatula and place it on a warm plate. Cover without sealing completely, to keep the steam from overcooking it.
10. Strain the braising liquid into a clean small saucepan. Add the heavy cream and reduce at a medium simmer until you have a sauce that coats the back of a spoon and leaves a clean line when drawn through it.
11. Add the white balsamic vinegar off the boil, then season with white pepper. Taste before adding more salt: the sauce should be creamy, lively, slightly herbal, with discreet depth at the finish.
12. Add the green grapes to the hot sauce and let them warm gently over very low heat. They should remain juicy and crisp, not turn into compote.
13. Return the megrim fillets to the sauce just to warm them through. Gently baste them with a spoon for 1 to 2 minutes, until the surface of the fish shines.
14. Arrange the dish on warm plates: place the megrim in the center, coat only the top and rim of the plate with Veronique sauce, then distribute the grapes around it. Add the chanterelles in small clusters, so they accompany each bite without covering the fish.
15. Finish with a little untreated lemon zest, a few flat-leaf parsley leaves, and one last very light turn of white pepper. Serve immediately, while the sauce is still glossy and the fish pearly.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

761.7 kcal

Protein

37.68 g

Carbohydrate

36.44 g

Fat

46.77 g

Fibre

6.89 g

Calcium

21.72 mg

Iron

0.55 mg

Magnesium

12.18 mg