Quenelles de Brochet

Prep time: 45 minutes (plus 4 hours chilling time)

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: ~1 hour 15 minutes (excluding chilling)

Servings: 4 servings

Country of Origin

France (Lyon region)

Description

Quenelles de Brochet is the crown jewel of Lyonnaise gastronomy. A quenelle is a light, airy, football-shaped dumpling. It is made by puréing white fish (traditionally Northern Pike) with a panade (a thick, flour-and-egg binder), whipping it with heavy cream, shaping them, poaching them, and finally baking them in a rich, decadently creamy crayfish butter sauce called Sauce Nantua.

Presentation & How It's Eaten

Served piping hot in individual gratin dishes. As they bake in the oven, the quenelles puff up dramatically like soufflés, surrounded by the bubbling, orange-hued Sauce Nantua. It is a highly luxurious dish eaten with a spoon, traditionally accompanied by steamed white rice and a crisp glass of white Burgundy.

Ingredients

• For the Panade:

  • 150ml milk

  • 40g butter

  • 80g all-purpose flour

  • 2 egg yolks

• For the Quenelle Paste:

  • 300g boneless, skinless Pike fillet (or halibut/cod), ice-cold and finely minced

  • 2 egg whites

  • 150ml heavy cream, ice-cold

  • A pinch of nutmeg, salt, and white pepper

• For the Sauce Nantua (Crayfish Sauce):

  • 40g butter (crayfish butter is traditional, or use unsalted butter)

  • 40g flour

  • 500ml fish stock

  • 100ml heavy cream

  • 2 tbsp Cognac

  • 2 tbsp lobster/crayfish paste

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Make the Panade: In a saucepan, bring the milk and butter to a boil. Whisk in the flour all at once, stirring vigorously over medium heat until the mixture forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan (like choux pastry). Remove from heat and beat in the egg yolks one by one. Let the panade cool completely, then chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

2. Process the Fish: In a food processor, blend the ice-cold fish fillets until smooth. Add the chilled panade and blend until fully integrated. Season with nutmeg, salt, and white pepper.

3. Whip in the Cream: With the motor running, slowly add the egg whites, followed by the heavy cream in a thin stream until a smooth, thick paste forms. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes (do not let it freeze).

4. Shape and Poach: Bring a large, wide pan of salted water to a gentle simmer (just below boiling). Using two large, wet spoons, shape the cold fish mixture into elegant three-sided football shapes (quenelles). Drop them into the simmering water. Poach for 12 to 15 minutes, turning them once. They will expand and float. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a dry kitchen towel.

5. Make the Sauce Nantua: Melt the butter in a pan, whisk in the flour, and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the fish stock and Cognac, simmering until thick. Stir in the crayfish paste and heavy cream, cooking until smooth and rosy-orange.

6. Bake and Puff: Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Arrange the poached quenelles in a buttered baking dish. Pour the Sauce Nantua generously over the top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the quenelles have puffed up beautifully and the sauce is bubbling and golden. Serve immediately.

Optional

• Salmon Variation: Use fresh salmon fillets instead of pike for a richer, pink-hued quenelle that pairs beautifully with a dill-cream sauce.

• Easy Crab Sauce: If crayfish paste is unavailable, use high-quality lobster bisque or condensed crab soup as a base for the baking sauce.

• Prevent Sticking: Butter the baking dish very generously before laying down the quenelles to keep them from sticking as they puff up and expand in the oven.

Cooking Tips

• The Ice-Cold Rule: Everything must be ice-cold when processing the fish and cream. If the ingredients get warm, the emulsion will break, the fat will separate, and your quenelles will turn grainy and rubbery instead of light and velvety.

• The Bare Simmer: When poaching the quenelles in step 4, the water must never boil. Boiling water will tear the delicate, unbaked dumplings apart, dissolving them into the water.

Nutrition Facts

(Estimated per serving)

• Calories: ~540 kcal

• Total Fat: 38g

• Saturated Fat: 22g

• Coleterol: 230mg

• Sodium: ~740mg

• Total Carbohydrates: 22g

• Dietary Fiber: 1g

• Sugars: ~2g

• Protein: 26g