FOOD and WINE | Bouchee of Salmon and Cauliflower | PENFOLDS Koonunga Hill, Autumn Riesling 2015

 

Old French classics always reminds us of how innovative and clever  these cooking methods actually are. Blind Baking, using butter and flour (roux) to create a sublime sauce with an egg yolk and cream emulsion (liaison) as the final crown are just a few of the old school cooking techniques, skills and applications. In my opinion these old fashioned techniques are still to be considered the essentials to have for every upcoming cook or chef learning and practicing  the “craft” of cooking – Craftsmanship!

Bouchee’s or Vol-au-Vent’s are a great way to use puff pastry in an exquisite and tasty savoury dish. They can be used with either fish (seafood), meat (veal), vegetables or poultry. Bouchee’s and Vol-au-Vent’s are normally shaped round. In my recipe I used a square shaped Bouchee.

 

 

Best to serve with a Glass of well tempered Penfolds Koonunga Hill Autumn Riesling 2015 from South Australia. Great colour with crisp flavours, decent acidity and length including a touch of Gewürztraminer. Here is the link from Penfolds with tasting notes: https://www.penfolds.com/~/media/Files/Penfolds2/Tasting-Notes/Koonunga-Hill/Autumn-Riesling/Penfolds-Koonunga-Hill-Autumn-Riesling-2015.pdf

 

 

 

Please find below my recipe with step-by step instructions.

 RECIPE:

Quantity           PORT: 4

Preparation time:  15 minutes | Cooking time:  20 minutes                          ………..

INGREDIENTS

QUANTITY       UNIT         PRODUCE

1                       SHEET     Puff pastry (square, rolled out – frozen)

2                       PC            Egg yolks

SOME       Sea salt flakes MALDON

SOME       Black pepper from the mill

300                   GR            Cauliflower, cleaned, washed and portioned into small florets

As needed          Salt cooking

¼                      PC            Lemon fresh juiced

 

500                   GR            Salmon fillet fresh (Tasmanian) skinned and deboned cut into 2 cm cubes

50                     GR            Butter cooking (unsalted)

40                     GR            Onions white, peeled finely chopped

30                     GR            Celery, peeled cut into small cubes (brunoise)

100                   GR            Button mushrooms cut into slices

10                     GR            Flat parsley stems finely cut

50                     ML            White wine cooking (dry)

30                     GR            Flour white plain

150                   ML            Cream cooking

As needed          Sea salt flakes MALDON

As needed          Pepper white ground

10                     GR            Thyme fresh finely chopped

5                       GR            Tarragon finely chopped

20                     GR            Flat parsley finely chopped

1                       BCH          Green asparagus cut into 1 cm long pieces

MISE EN PLACE | PREPARATION:

1. Line out baking tray with baking paper
2. Cut puff pastry into 4 equal pieces (squares)
3. Place on baking tray, brush with egg yolks, sprinkle with seas salt and black pepper mill
4. Bake in the oven (top-bottom heat) for approx. 8-10 minutes (till golden brown)
5. Take off from baking tray, cool down and set aside
6. Bring salt water with ¼ lemon juice to the boil, add cauliflower florets and simmer till 90% cooked
7. Strain off simmering liquid (keep for sauce), cool down cooked cauliflower florets, set aside
8. Reduce simmering liquid to 1/3
9. Meanwhile add butter into a saucepan, melting (no colour), add onions, celery, mushrooms and parsley stems
10. Sautéing till translucent, add flour and stir very well (till you cannot see any flour (white bits) anymore – be careful not to colour the flour brown!
11. Deglaze with white wine, add cauliflower liquid bring to a boil and simmer, occasionally stir (in order to ensure that the flour will not sink to the bottom of the pan – causing burning!)
12. Continuously adding the cauliflower liquid (till all has been used up) and reduce till the sauce is silky and shiny.
13. Add cooking cream (125 ml) and continue simmering / reducing
14. Add salmon fillet cubes and Asparagus pieces, add all finely chopped herbs
15. Simmer till salmon is cooked (4-5 minutes). Be careful not to overcook the salmon.
16. Mix 25 ml of cream and the remaining g egg yolks to a liaison. Add to the salmon ragout – pull away from the heat (no more cooking) and mix well – be careful not to destroy the salmon pieces.
17. Cut baked puff pastry sheets lengthwise into two pieces (bottom and top)
18. Place bottom side on the plate, arrange salmon stew on top, cover with top side

REMARKS | COMMENTS | SUGGESTIONS:

1. Salmon can be replaced with Tuna or Ocean trout
2. Asparagus can be replaced / substituted with snow peas, snap peas or green beans
3. Can be served with steamed rice or Parsley potatoes on the side
4. Goes very well with a perfectly tempered glass of Penfolds Koonunga Hill Autumn Riesling 2015

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Enjoy and Bon Appetite!

Chef and Guide User Martin