Thick monkfish medallions are seared in butter and gently poached in an aromatic Vin Jaune and morel reduction, then finished with a luscious Bresse-style cream sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 kg trimmed fresh monkfish tail
- 40 g whole dried morels
- 25 cl Jura Vin Jaune AOC
- 30 cl heavy cream (at least 35% milkfat)
- 3 pieces shallots
- 40 g unsalted butter (82% milkfat)
- to taste fine sea salt
- to taste ground white pepper
Method
- Place the whole dried morels in a shallow bowl, cover with warm water at about 105 °F / 40 °C, and let rehydrate for 30 minutes until plump and tender.
- Carefully drain the morels, saving the soaking liquid. Strain this liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth to remove any grit or sand, then set aside.
- Quickly rinse the morels under a gentle stream of cold water to clean out the crevices, then pat dry on paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Peel and very finely mince the shallots.
- Cut the trimmed fresh monkfish tail into thick, even medallions about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) wide.
- Melt the unsalted butter in a saute pan over medium heat (about 285 °F / 140 °C). Once it foams without browning, add the minced shallots and sweat for 3 minutes without coloring until translucent.
- Add the monkfish medallions to the pan and sear over medium-high heat for 2 minutes per side to firm up the flesh, making sure it stays pearly white without browning.
- Add the morels to the pan and saute over medium heat for 3 minutes alongside the fish and shallots so they absorb the cooking juices.
- Deglaze with the Jura Vin Jaune, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, then pour in the strained morel soaking liquid.
- Season with a pinch of fine sea salt and ground white pepper. Cover the pan and poach at a gentle, steady simmer (about 185 °F to 195 °F / 85 °C to 90 °C) for 8 minutes, until the monkfish reaches an internal temperature of 125 °F / 52 °C and becomes opaque.
- Gently transfer the monkfish medallions and morels to a warm platter using a slotted spoon, then tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest warm for 5 minutes.
- Bring the remaining cooking liquid in the pan to a vigorous boil over high heat for 5 minutes, until reduced by two-thirds and slightly syrupy.
- Whisk in the heavy cream and simmer over medium heat (gentle bubbles) for 4 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with fine sea salt and ground white pepper as needed.
- Return the monkfish medallions and morels to the warm sauce to gently reheat over very low heat (about 160 °F / 70 °C) for 2 minutes, without letting the sauce boil.
- Serve immediately in warm shallow bowls, placing the monkfish medallions in the center surrounded by morels, then spoon the hot Vin Jaune cream sauce generously over top.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 582.9 kcal
- Protein
- 42.25 g
- Carbohydrate
- 9.44 g
- Fat
- 35.22 g
- Fibre
- 4.05 g
- Calcium
- 67.62 mg
- Iron
- 0.52 mg
- Magnesium
- 12.81 mg
