Roasted daurade with fennel, tomatoes, olives, and preser
4 servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| For the Braised Fennel- | ||
| 1 | tablespoon | Extra virgin olive oil |
| 8 | Heads of organic baby fennel | |
| Salt and pepper to taste | ||
| 2 | cups | Chicken stock |
| For the Confit Tomatoes: | ||
| 4 | Field-ripened organic | |
| Tomatoes | ||
| Coarse sea salt to taste | ||
| ¼ | cup | Extra virgin olive oil |
| 8 | Thyme branches | |
| 4 | To 6 cloves of garlic | |
| Pepper to taste | ||
| For the Preserved Lemon | ||
| Zest: | ||
| 8 | Lemons | |
| 1 | cup | Sugar |
| Salt to taste | ||
| 1 | cup | Fresh lemon juice |
| For the Daurade Stock: | ||
| 2 | tablespoons | Olive oil |
| 5 | pounds | Daurade bones (gills removed |
| And iced) | ||
| 1 | cup | Shallots |
| 1 | cup | Fennel root |
| ½ | cup | Garlic cloves |
| 10 | Basil stems | |
| 20 | Dried fennel sticks | |
| 2 | gallons | Cold chicken stock |
| For the Daurade: | ||
| 1 | cup | Daurade stock |
| Sea salt and pepper to taste | ||
| 2 | Whole daurade, cut into | |
| Fillets | ||
| Braised fennel | ||
| ½ | cup | Pitted late harvest olives |
| Confit tomatoes | ||
| 2 | tablespoons | Basil leaves |
| Preserved lemon zest | ||
| 2 | tablespoons | Extra virgin olive oil |
Directions
Preparation of the Braised Fennel: Heat a heavy saucepan on full flame. Add the olive oil and trimmed heads of baby fennel and sweat for one minute. Season with salt and pepper and deglaze with chicken stock to cover. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer covered until fennel is tender, approximately fifteen minutes. Chill in stock over ice and set aside.
Preparation of the Confit Tomatoes: Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
Boil the tomatoes in water for ten seconds, then peel and quarter them. Place the tomatoes in a pan with the salt, oil, thyme, and garlic. Cook at a low temperature for three to four hours or until tomatoes are half their original size. Reserve in the oil.
Preparation of the Preserved Lemon Zest: Zest the lemons with no pith into strips ⅓ inch wide and two inches long. Place them in a pot of cold water and bring to a rolling boil.
Strain and repeat two more times. Mix the sugar, salt, and lemon juice in a sauce pot and add the blanched lemon zest. Simmer for twenty minutes at low heat until zest is soft, tart, and sweet.
Reserve in liquid for up to one week, refrigerated.
Preparation of the Daurade Stock: Heat a large-bottomed heavy sauce pan over a high flame. Add olive oil and cut up fish bones that have been patted dry. Sweat for two minutes and add chopped vegetables, garlic, basil stems, and fennel sticks. Sweat five minutes and cover with the cold chicken stock.
Bring to a boil, skim, and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Strain through a cheese cloth and cool.
Preparation of the Sauce:
Reduce the daurade stock to ⅓ of a gallon and add ¼ up of the syrup from the candied lemon.
Season with sea salt and white pepper. Reserve warm.
Preparation of the Daurade:
Season the fillets with salt and white pepper and sear in a hot pan with olive oil. Warm the fennel, olives, tomatoes, and basil with a few strips of the lemon, finish with extra virgin olive oil, and serve under the fillets of daurade.
Yield: 4 servings
GOURMET GETAWAYS SHOW # GG1A04 from Mary Elaine's and Chef Alessandro Stratta