Cookbook:Fish Stew of Alsace (Matelote de poissons d'Alsace)

Cookbook | Ingredients | Recipes

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French cuisine

Matelote de poissons d'Alsace – Alsation Matelote (fish stew)

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 3½ lbs fish ready to cook as follows:
• 1 lb filet of pike,
• 1 lb filet of carp
• ½ lb eel
• 1 lb filet of perch
• 6 crayfish
• The heads and tails to make a fumet
• 2 shallots
• 1 cup Riesling,
• 1 oz sugar
• 1 oz butter
• 1 oz flour
• ½ cup cream
• 1 bouquet garni
• salt and pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 oz. (½ cup) grelot onions (may substitute Mexican green onions)
• 4 oz. (½ cup) white mushrooms, fresh

Procedure

1. Wash the fish and remove any remaining debris. Cut the fish into 2 oz pieces approximately. #Place in a buttered baking dish
2. Add the finely minced shallots. Salt lightly.
3. Prepare a fumet with the fish heads and tails, the Riesling, 1quart water, the bouquet garni and the garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Simmer for 30 mins.
5. Strain the boiling fish stock over the pieces of fish in the baking dish Cover with aluminum foil.
6. Place in the oven at 450ºF. Bake for 10 minutes Remove from the oven.
7. Place the stock in a casserole or a cocotte en fonte (Dutch oven). Mix the butter with the flour. Add this to the liquid, stirring well to avoid lumps. Reduce to the desired thickness
8. Add the crème fraîche and heat gently until it comes to the boil. Stop the cooking and strain through a chinois
9. Arrange the pieces of fish on a well-heated plate and coat with sauce.
10. Sauté the onions and mushrooms
11. Add this mixture to the plate with a few croûtons rubbed with garlic
12. Add one crayfish per plate
13. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Notes

• As an accompaniment, serve Nouilles fraîches à l'Alsacienne (fresh Alsatian noodles), or steamed potatoes.
• A dry Riesling will enhance the flavour of the different fishes.