A crisp, generous seafood pie in which the allache stays at the center: pearly flesh and the pronounced flavor of a small oily fish, lifted by sweet leeks, smoked bacon, chives, and a touch of paprika.
Ingredients
- 600 g fresh allache fillets, also called golden sardinella
- 2 pieces ready-to-roll all-butter puff pastry
- 3 pieces medium fresh leeks
- 120 g smoked pork lardons
- 120 g full-fat crème fraîche
- 12 cl vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove fresh garlic
- 0.5 bunches fresh chives
- 1 piece unwaxed lemon
- 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 30 g fine breadcrumbs
- 1 piece free-range egg
- 20 g wheat flour
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Method
- Check the allache fillets: remove any remaining bones with tweezers, pat the flesh thoroughly dry, then lightly salt the flesh side. Let rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, until the surface becomes slightly firmer and shinier.
- Wash the leeks by splitting them lengthwise to remove the sand hidden between the leaves. Thinly slice them, then drain them: they should be clean but not waterlogged.
- Put the bacon lardons in a large cold skillet over medium heat. Let them render slowly until browned at the edges and smoky-scented, then remove them, leaving the rendered fat in the skillet.
- Add the olive oil and leeks to the same skillet. Cook over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until soft, glossy, and almost confit-like, without aggressive browning.
- Add the finely grated garlic and paprika. Stir until fragrant, warm, and lightly smoky, then pour in the stock. Reduce until only a bound moisture remains around the leeks: the filling should be meltingly tender but not runny.
- Off the heat, stir in the crème fraîche, bacon, chopped chives, a little lemon zest, and pepper. Taste: the mixture should be flavorful but less salty than you expect, since the fish and bacon will reinforce the seasoning. Cool completely before assembling the pie.
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Place a baking sheet in the oven to heat; it will help the bottom of the pie cook and stay crisp.
- Unroll one puff pastry sheet onto lightly floured parchment paper. Prick only the center with a fork, then sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the area that will receive the filling: they will absorb the fish juices without thickening the flavor.
- Spread a thin layer of cooled leeks in the center, place the allache fillets on top, overlapping them slightly, then cover with the remaining leeks, leaving the edges clear. The fish should form a clearly visible layer when sliced, rather than being mixed into flakes.
- Brush the edges with beaten egg, cover with the second puff pastry sheet, then seal by pressing with your fingers. Trim any excess if needed and crimp the edge to create an even seal.
- Make a small vent in the center with the tip of a knife and lightly decorate the surface without cutting deeply into it. Brush with egg wash, then chill the pie in the refrigerator for 15 minutes: the pastry should feel firm again to the touch.
- Bake on the hot sheet at 200 °C for 15 minutes, until the pastry begins to rise decisively and brown. Then lower the temperature to 180 °C and continue baking for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pie is deeply golden, sounds hollow when tapped on top, and the vent releases fragrant but not wet steam.
- Let rest for 10 minutes out of the oven before cutting. Serve in neat slices, with a squeeze of lemon juice added just before plating to lift the allache's rich fat.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 694.4 kcal
- Protein
- 50.05 g
- Carbohydrate
- 29.87 g
- Fat
- 40.86 g
- Fibre
- 5.2 g
- Calcium
- 90 mg
- Iron
- 2.18 mg
- Magnesium
- 30.72 mg