Cold Poached Turbot With Creamy Tarragon Sauce Recipes

TURBOT POACHED IN TARRAGON BROTH

Steps:

• Have a fishmonger fillet and skin the turbot, then save and chop the bones for you. Rinse bones for 1 hour under cold running water.
• Roughly chop half of the onion, shallots, carrots, leeks, celery and tomatoes. Julienne the remaining onions, shallots and leeks. Thinly slice the remaining carrots and celery. Peel, seed and dice the remaining tomato.
• Fill a stockpot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add the fish bones and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain, rinse and return them to the pot with 2 quarts water. Boil, lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes.
• Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve, discard the bones and return stock to the pot. Add the roughly chopped vegetables, garlic, white peppercorns and cayenne and bring to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes, skimming the foam off the top. Add the wine and vinegar; simmer 15 minutes more.
• Strain the stock, discarding solids. Return stock to the pan and add 1 1/2 bunches of the tarragon and the rosemary, basil and mint. Cover the pot and set aside to infuse for at least a half-hour.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the remaining vegetables. Cook until just tender, about 3 minutes, then plunge them into cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
• Reserve 4 small sprigs of tarragon for garnish and chop the rest. Set aside.
• Season the fish with salt and pepper. Strain the stock, discarding the herbs. In a deep skillet, heat the broth. When just simmering, add the fillets. Cook for 3 minutes; turn and cook until opaque throughout, about 3 more minutes. Remove the fillets and keep warm.
• Add the cooked vegetables to the hot broth and heat them. Swirl in the butter and add the chopped tarragon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the fillets in four soup bowls and spoon the tarragon broth and vegetables over them. Add the tarragon sprigs and serve.

POACHED CHICKEN WITH TARRAGON CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Trim any rib meat and fat from the breasts. Cut breasts into 2 pieces, removing strip of cartilage that joins halves.
• Select a pan that will just hold the breasts when they are placed close together.
• Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and white pepper, arrange them presentation side up.
• Add wine, chicken stock, bay leaf, thyme, and dried tarragon.
• Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the pan you are using, rub butter on it. Place it butter side down on top of chicken mixture.
• Bring liquid to a simmer and reduce the temperature to just below simmering (this is poaching temperature).
• Allow chicken to cook through (about 7 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle). Remove chicken from pan.
• Turn temperature up until remaining liquid is boiling. Allow to reduce for a minute or two.
• Meanwhile mix 1 oz of butter and 1 oz of flour into a paste (this is called beurre manie).
• Once the liquid in the pan has reduced a little, whisk in the beurre manie, and bring back to a boil.
• Once liquid has thickened, add cream, and continue whisking until desired thickness.
• Strain liquid through cheese cloth, and serve over chicken breasts, with a sprig of tarragon.

COLD POACHED TURBOT WITH CREAMY TARRAGON SAUCE

Steps:

• DO AHEAD: In large skillet arrange fish in single layer. Add onion, celery, peppercorns, salt, bay leaf and lemon. Add enough water just to cover fish.
• Cover and simmer over low heat until fish flakes easily with fork, 5 to 7 minutes. With wide spatula remove fish from liquid; cover and refrigerate. Will keep about 2 days.
• Creamy Tarragon Sauce: In bowl, stir together all of the ingredients (sour cream to tarragon). Cover and chill. Makes about 1/2 cup.
• 5 minutes before serving, place fish on lettuce-lined platter. GARNISH with cucumber, tomatoes and lemon. Serve with Creamy Tarragon Sauce.