FISH A LA MINUTE
Fish à la minute is a gratifying way to cook fresh fish filets in a one-pot fashion without sacrificing taste.
This recipe technique appears in our first cook book, ‘French Cooking Academy: 100 Essential Recipes for the Home Cook’.
In home cooking, à la minute refers to a recipe that can be made in a flash, and this recipe is a fine example. Fish à la minute is a gratifying way to cook fresh fish filets in a one-pot fashion without sacrificing taste. Use any fish with a flaky texture (e.g., cod, halibut or seabass) and bake in the winning combination of shallots, white vermouth, white wine, parsley and olive oil with a sprinkle of bread crumbs. It’s the answer to those long days where you need something fast but tasty.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
4 (5.5-oz [150-g]) thick fish filets, or I large filet (about 22 oz [600 g])
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp (20 g) finely diced shallot
1 tbsp (4 g) chopped curly parsley
20 ml Noilly Prat (white vermouth)
⅓ cup (80 ml) dry white wine
3 tbsp (20 g) bread crumbs
2 tbsp (30 g) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2 tbsp (30 ml) heavy cream (optional)
MISE EN PLACE
Clean and trim the fish filets and use a sharp knife to make light crisscross incisions on the skin side of the fish.
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
Brush a large baking dish with a light coating of olive oil and lay the fish filets, skin side down, in the dish. Season with salt and pepper, then scatter the shallot and parsley on top. Method
METHOD
Pour the vermouth and wine over the fish and sprinkle the top of each filet with a layer of bread crumbs followed by the butter cubes.
Place in the oven on the lower rack and bake for 20 to 25 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish). When done, the fish should be cooked through, and the bread crumbs beautifully crispy and golden. Optionally, for a creamy sauce, stir in 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of cream with the cooking juices before serving. Enjoy immediately with any kind of side.