Steamed Fish Plaits with Warm Vinaigrette
A wonderful steamed fish recipe that will look like a work of art on your table.
Ingredients
- 12 oz red snapper fillets with their skin, 375 g
- 12 oz lemon sole fillets with their skin, 375 g
- 12 oz mackerel fillets with their skin, 375 g
- Salt and pepper
For the court bouillon
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 13/4 pints water 1 liter
- 1 bouquet garni prepared with 5-6 parsley stalks, 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme, and 1 bay leaf
- 6 peppercorns
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 fl oz Red Wine Vinegar 125 ml
- 2 tsp Dijon Mustard 10 ml
- 2.5 fl oz Olive oil 75 ml
- 1/4 pint vegetable oil 150 ml
- 7 sprigs fresh tarragon or thyme tarragon
- 10 sprigs fresh parsley or chervil
Alternative fish
- any fish with thin, colorful skin such as bass or mullet
Instructions
- Peel and quarter the carrot and onion.
- Combine the water, bouquet garni, peppercorns, 1 tsp (5 ml) salt, the cloves, carrot, and onion in the bottom of the steamer and bring just to a boil. There should be about 2 inches (5 cm) of court bouillon in the steamer.
- Simmer 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, rinse the fish fillets with cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
- Discard any bones.
- Trim the fillets so they are roughly the same length.
- Cut each of the fish fillets lengthwise into strips about 2 cm (3/4 inch) wide, so that there will be 6 strips of each different type of fish to plait. TAKE CARE: Handle the fish gently while cutting so strips do not break.
- Arrange a strip of snapper, sole, and mackerel next to each other, skin-side up.
- Plait the strips together, lifting them carefully over each other and gathering the ends together.
- Continue making plaits with the remaining strips of fish.
- Plait strips loosely so they do not shrink and break during cooking. Don't worry if the plaits are not even.
Steam the Fish Plaits
- Using the fish slice, transfer the plaits to the steamer rack.
- Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
- You may have to steam the fish plaits in 2 batches.
- Set the rack over the simmering court bouillon; there should still be 2 inches (5 cm) of liquid. TAKE CARE: If too much liquid evaporates from the steamer, add more water.
- Cover the steamer and steam the fish for 8-10 minutes, until it just flakes easily when tested with a fork. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette.
Make The Vinaigrette; Finish The Dish
- Peel each shallot and slice horizontally towards the root, leaving the slices attached at the root.
- Slice vertically, then cut across the shallot to make fine dice.
- Strip the herb leaves from the stalks, reserving 4 sprigs of each for garnish. Finely chop the leaves.
- In the saucepan, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and shallots. Add the olive oil, then the vegetable oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly so the vinaigrette emulsifies and thickens slightly.
- Heat gently until warm, whisking constantly.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
TO SERVE
- Spoon the vinaigrette onto 6 warmed individual plates.
- Transfer the plaits to the plates.
- Garnish with the reserved parsley and tarragon sprigs, and serve at once.