Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Oyster Soup

48 oysters

olive oil, salt, milled black pepper

100 g chopped onion 100 ml white wine

15 ml chopped fresh fennel

1 litre Fish Stock (page 209)

1 litre Mussel Stock

70 g butter

70 g (150 ml) cake flour 125 ml cream

chopped chives for garnish

Carefully open the oysters over a bowl to retain the liquor. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan and fry the onion until translucent. Add the wine, fennel and oysters, with their liquid. Bring to the boil, then strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve into a clean pot. Discard onion and fennel. Add the fish stock.

Diet Start

Gently rinse the oysters to any grit.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Remove from the heat and blend in the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until a sandy texture is obtained. Cool.

Bring the stock to the boil. Slowly whisk it into the flour and butter mixture over moderate heat until smooth and thicked. Season with salt and pepper. Bring o the boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes. dd the oysters and heat through.

To Serve: Ladle soup into warm bowls opped with lightly whipped cream and chives.

Serves 8

Linefish Bakedin a Reunion Parcel

6 x 180 g portions filleted linefish, skinned salt, milled black pepper, olive oil

200 g green ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

200 g onion, peeled and roughly chopped

100 g garlic cloves, peeled

1 red, 1 yellow and 1 green pepper, seeded and sliced into julienne strips

12 sheets phyllo pastry

(large enough to enclose fish and filling) melted butter

1 egg yolk

Reunion Sauce

butter

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, blanched and finely chopped 5 ml turmeric

500 ml cream

250 g butter, cut into blocks

'/2 bunch fresh coriander, chopped

Place the fish on a greased baking tray and grill under a hot grill until lightly coloured. (Don't cook it through, as it will be finished in the oven.) Season. lightly with salt and pepper. Cool.

Grind together the ginger, onion and garlic in a food processor. Panfry in a little olive oil with the yellow, green and red pepper until soft. Cool.

Reunion Sauce: Heat a little butter in a medium saucepan and fry the onion, tomato and turmeric until the vegetables are soft. Add the cream and simmer uncovered until reduced by half. Whisk in the butter block by block. Add the chopped coriander.

Set the oven at 180° C. Place 6 sheets of phyllo pastry on a worktop, brush with melted butter and place another sheet on top in the shape of a star.

Spoon on the ginger/pepper mix, then a portion of linefish. Enclose in pastry and brush with egg yolk. Place in a greased baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes until cooked.

To Serve: Place fish parcels on warm plates and pour a little Reunion sauce around.

Serves 6

... andjoyohoxing