Japanese style poached salmon

For ➍
600 g skinless salmon filets
150 g portobello mushrooms, finely chopped
3 tbs finely chopped yellow onions
20 cl mirin, sake or dry white wine (or add some water)
15 cl heavy cream*
2 tbs butter*
1 tsp fresh (or ¼ tsp dried) tarragon, finely chopped
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Rinse salmon and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut filet into 4 equal portions.
In large skillet, arrange mushrooms and onions covering bottom of pan. Place salmon pieces on top.
Pour sake and water over salmon and bring to a boil over medium-high. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer 3-5 m or only until salmon is slightly undercooked. Remove salmon from pan, transfer to a plate, cover with tin foil, and set aside.
Increase heat to medium-high and continue to boil mushrooms and onions until the liquid has reduced to 40 cl.
Add any extra juices from salmon plate, stir in heavy cream*, butter*, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook 10-15 m until liquid has reduced to 10 cl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove sauce from heat and set aside.
Transfer salmon to individual serving plates, spoon mushroom reduction sauce on top of salmon. Serve immediately.

*Omit cream and butter.

Brandade (Provençal cod puree)

For ➏
750 g dried salted cod*
2 dl cream
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 dl olive oil
salt & pepper
lemon juice
ciabatta or baguette for crostini
olive oil
fennel, orange & red onion for salad

Soak the salted fish at least 24 h in water that is changed 3 times or more. Put the fish in a saucepan with fresh cold water, bring to a boil, temper heat & poach for 12 m. Drain fish and remove skin and bones (about 500 g cod should remain). Bring garlic, olive oil and cream in a saucepan to the boil. Puree this mixture with the fish in a food processor until smooth. Season with lemon juice and plenty of black pepper. Test whether any salt is needed. Have some bread ready, lightly rubbed with olive oil, lightly browned under the grill for roasting.
Serve lukewarm or cold brandade with some black olives and parsley. Serve with a salad of orange wheels, red onion rings, finely sliced fennel with a dash of olive oil, and maybe a few slices of garlic toast.

*Or use fresh cod filet. Put it in salt overnight. In the morning, rinse the salt away, and soak the cod in cold water for 1h.
*Or make it with milk and some anchovies as in the Venetian bacalla mantecato.

The traditional brandade de morue originated in the town of Nîmes, a popular destination in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. The refined Nîmes version of the salt cod, or baccalao, brandade is made with aioli sauce and usually complemented with a leafy salad and garlic toasts, to fully enjoy the typical aromas of the Southern France food and gastronomy.
This typical fish dish from Languedoc Roussillon, made of a refined salt cod puree, is also known as 'cod brandade'. This Southern French speciality received its name from the Provençal word 'brandado', meaning 'things stirred'. Indeed, the Brandade's success is mainly based on a very prolonged stirring of the ingredients.
The original brandade cooking was first introduced into the Southern France gastronomy in 1786, when a fish lover from Nîmes decided to mash salt cod's flesh with garlic, olive oil and a touch of milk or cream. This refined recipe of brandade de morue only became a great success in 1830 thanks to the renowned French cook Durand.
Modern recipes of the cod brandade include a fine potato puree that tops a layer of mashed salt cod. Cooks in the South of France ususally serve this delightful rich dish on its own, with a simple green salad and toasts, crackers or, for a really authentic meal, croutons fried in olive oil.
Nevertheless, cooking the salt cod in a puff pastry or to accompany the brandade with truffles (especially in Nîmes) or lemon juice (in Provence) is now a must in the French gastronomy. The French brandade preparation can also make a fine and tasty ravioli stuffing.

Sea bass with porcini & cauliflower

For ➍
4 sea bass fillets with skin, each 200 g (or redfish or cod)
125 g dried porcini mushrooms
1 small cauliflower (or broccoli)
butter
olive oil
salt & pepper
1 slice smoked ham
1 chopped shallot
1 finely crushed clove of garlic
½ glass of dry white wine
2.5 dl fish stock
1.25 dl cream
thyme, bay

Soak the porcini mushrooms in water and let it drain thoroughly. Sauté the mushrooms in olive oil with the chopped shallot , garlic and chopped ham.
Deglaze with the white wine. Add the fish stock , thyme , bay leaves and cream. Reduce to half . Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Grind the cooked sauce in a blender. Press them through a fine sieve.*
Divide the cauliflower into florets. Boil briefly in water and cook them further in some butter. Season with salt and pepper.
Steam (or poach ) the sea bass fillets with the skin side down. Count about 10 m.**
Divide the porcini on 4 warm plates. Place the fish on top. Arrange the cauliflower florets around and spoon the sauce over the fish. Garnish with parsley, some dried rose berries and a cooked crayfish.

*Or serve the mushrooms without grinding.
**Or cook in the microwave: 1 m/100 g.

Poached eggs with yogurt

For ➍
1 leek, chopped
1 bunch fresh sage
350 g Turkish or Greek strained yogurt
2 cloves garlic, crushed to pulp
4 eggs
1 ts vinegar
1 ts Turkish pepper flakes or paprika
30 g butter
sea salt & black pepper
1 Turkish flat bread

Fry the leeks in a little butter on low heat until nicely caramelized. Keep aside.
Fry the sage leaves now with a knob of butter on a low heat until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper.
Melt the remaining butter with 3 sage leaves until brown.
Bring water to boil with the vinegar. Stir with a whisk, and break an egg into the water. Sculpt the egg white strands with 2 forks to cover the yolk. Poach the eggs for 4 m. Put in cold water. Place each egg in a bowl.
Mix the yogurt with the garlic pulp.
Sprinkle the eggs with leeks, 1 tbs of caramelized butter, pepper flakes and crispy sage. Finish with sea salt and pepper.
Serve with flat bread.

Salade lyonnaise (French poached egg salad)

For ➊
1 handful frisee lettuce, torn into small pieces
2 strips bacon, cooked & crumbled
3 tbs croutons
1 poached egg
shallot vinaigrette

Layer a chilled salad plate with torn frisee, crumbled bacon, croutons, and a poached egg.
Finish the poached egg salad with a drizzle of shallot vinaigrette.

More recipes from the Lyon region: goat cheese spread, matefaim salé, braised chicken with cream sauce.

Oostends vispannetje (North Sea fish gratin)

For ➍
200 g salmon fillet
200 g Dover sole fillet
200 g North Sea shrimps, peeled
4 dl fish stock
75 g butter
75 g flour
5 cl dry white wine
4 dl cream
125 g white button mushrooms, sliced
150 g Gruyère cheese, grated
salt & pepper
parsley

Preheat oven to 200°C.
Cut the fish into chunks. Poach the fish in the stock until half cooked (about 4-5 m). Take the fish out of the stock.
Thicken the stock a further few m.
Melt the butter. Stir with the flour to a blond roux. Mix the roux and the thickened stock.
Melt a little butter. Sauté the mushrooms. Add the cooking liquids to the stock mix.
Add the white wine and cream. Thicken to half the quantity. Season with salt and pepper.
Take from the heat. Add the grated cheese and shrimps.
Arrange the fish in a buttered ovenproof dish. Pour over the sauce. Sprinkle some grated cheese over it.
Put in preheated oven and broil for 4 m. Finish with some chopped parsley.
Serve with bread or mashed potatoes.

*Alternatively:
1 fillet of cod, approximately 125 g, 1 fillet of sole, 22 scallops, 50 g peeled grey shrimps, 8 large mussels, 5 cl white beer (blanche de Namur, Brugse Witte of Hoegaarden), 5 cl double cream, 5 cl lobster bisque, 30 g Gruyère, salt & pepper.
Cook mussels and remove from the shell. Cut scallops into slices 3 mm thick. Place cod and sole fillets in an ovenproof dish.
Pour in beer, cream and lobster bisque. Add salt and pepper.
Cook in oven preheated to 180°C for 10 m. After 10 m, add shrimps, scallop slices and mussels. Sprinkle with grated Gruyère and broil under the grill for a few m.

Monkfish with samphire @ wok

For ➋
30 cl fish stock
2 chunks monkfish, 200 g each*
150 g samphire
15 g butter
pepper

Heat the stock. Put the fish in the stock, for 8 to 10 m. Avoid boiling.***
Clean the samphire with fresh water. Remove all brown stalks.
Heat the butter in a wok. Put the samphire in. Stir and fry for 4 m.****
Sprinkle some pepper on the fish. Put the fish on the samphire. Serve with mashed potatoes.

*Use redfish or any firm white fish instead.
**Alternatively, cook in the microwave with just a sprinkle of stock.
***You can slice a few shallots, melt butter, stir and fry for 1 m, add samphire and stir and fry for 2 to 4 m.

Samphire was originally called 'sampierre' after the French 'Saint-Pierre', Saint Peter, the patron of the fishermen. Samphire grows mainly in salty, rocky places and marshes along the Northern shores of Europe.
In French it is called salicot, salicorne or passe-pierre, as the varieties have different names.
Read more monkfish recipes: anglerfish in gueuze.
Read more sea vegetables recipes.

Gentse perentaart (Ghent pear cake)

For ➓
125 g butter
150 g sugar
2 eggs
½ beaten egg
210 g flour
salt
1 tbs grated lemon peel
30 g ground almonds
± 8 half pears (can)*
1.25 dl cream
ground vanilla or vanilla essence
apricot glaze**
shaved almonds

Mix 100 g butter, 100 g sugar, 1 egg, 200 g, salt, flour into a smooth dough. Cover and put in fridge for 1 h.

Prepare a loose-based cake tin of 20 cm.

Roll out the dough, put in the form and return to fridge for 30 m.

Heat the oven to 180 °C.

Mix the rest of the flour with 30 g sugar and ground almonds. Add beaten egg and 25 g butter to the mixture. Whip until creamy.

Spread over the dough. Put the pears in a circle on the mixture.

Mix 1 egg, vanilla and cream.

Pour over the pears.

Bake for 30 m in the centre of the oven.

Remove and let cool on rack.

Glaze with (warm) apricot and shaved almonds.

Add a dot of whipped cream, if you feel like it. Serve with a fruit-based drink like cider, a medium dry white wine like Vouvray, or an old Flemish jenever (gin). Or a dark brown sweet beer. Or tea (without sugar or milk), definitely not coffee.

*When using fresh pears, poach them for 15 m in water and sugar.
**Prepare by mixing 1 tbs of water through 1 tbs of apricot jam.

tip: cooking frozen fish

Always rinse seafood under cold water to remove any ice glaze. Pat dry with paper towel
Brush both sides of fish with high oleic vegetable oils: olive, canola, peanut, grapeseed, soy or safflower. Avoid butter, sunflower or corn oil as they will burn at high heat.

Sauté/ pan-searing
Heat a heavy nonstick skillet or ridged stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat.
Place fish in heated pan, skin side up, and cook, uncovered, 3 to 4 m, until browned.
Turn the fish over and season it with your favorite seafood seasoning.
Cover the skillet tightly and reduce the heat to medium;
Continue to cook an additional 6 to 8 m.
Finish thick portions in an oven preheated to 200°C (use an ovenproof pan).
Remove from heat just as soon as seafood is opaque throughout.

Roasting
Preheat oven to medium-high heat (230°C).
Place seafood on spray-coated pan or foil-lined baking sheet
Cook 12 to 15 m. Flip only very thick portions.
For best results with frozen fish, cook 4 m before seasoning with butter or spices.
Remove from heat just as soon as seafood is opaque throughout.

Broiling
Preheat broiler to medium-high heat (230°C)
Place seafood on spray-coated broiling pan or foil-lined baking sheet.
Cook 12 to 15 m.
For best results with frozen fish, cook 4 m before seasoning with butter or spices.
Flip only very thick portions.
Remove from heat just as soon as seafood is opaque throughout.

Grilling
Heat grill to 200°C.
Tear an 45 cm wide sheet of foil so it is 10 cm longer than the seafood.
Spray-coat the dull side of foil and place seafood on foil, skin side down
Brush both sides of fish with high oleic vegetable oils: olive, canola, peanut, grapeseed, soy or safflower. Avoid butter, sunflower or corn oil as they will burn at high heat.
Bring sides of foil together and fold over several times to seal. Roll up ends to form a packet.
Place packet on grill, seam side down, and cook for 8 to 10 m.
Remove packet from grill. Open and add seasoning.
Crimp foil loosely to close and return packet to grill, seam side up.
Cook an additional 8 to 10 m.
Remove from heat just as soon as seafood is opaque throughout.

Poaching
Add water/court bouillon to a large pan and simmer.
Turn off the heat and add seafood to liquid, skin side down.
Return heat to a simmer. Liquid should simmer, not boil.
Once simmering, cover pan tightly and cook 4 to 5 m.
Turn off the heat and let the seafood rest 5 minutesRemove from heat just as soon as seafood is opaque throughout.

Steaming
Bring about 2.5 cm of water/seasoned liquid to a boil.
Line the steamer with lettuce, onion, herbs or citrus (without covering all the holes) to keep seafood from sticking.
Add seafood to steamer and cover loosely.
Return liquid to a boil and steam 5 to 7 m.
Remove from heat just as soon as seafood is opaque throughout

tip: poaching an egg

For ➊
1 egg
vinegar

Break each egg into a separate coffee cup. Avoid breaking the yolk. Keep a half empty eggshell aside.
Fill a high pan for ¾ with water, enough to cover the egg. Add a splash of vinegar to help to bind the egg. Bring the water to the boil, then lower the heat. Keep it just below boiling point.
Stir with a spoon or whisk in the water to create a vortex. Put the eggshell in the water. When the egg shell moves to the center, you can start poaching.
Remove the egg shell and drop the (first) egg in the center of the gently swirling water. After 1-2 m, the egg is cooked enough to have a running yolk inside.
Take the egg out of the pan using a flat, non-stick slotted spatula.Gently put the egg on a clean cloth. Let evaporate the water. Increase the heat if necessary. Repeat for all eggs. Or try to do 2 at the time.
Serve with fresh (buttered toast). Season the egg with salt and pepper.
Or serve with a Belgian shrimps dish.

*You can poach eggs on forehand, fashion them and reheat them in simmering water for 10-20 s.

The legendary English food writer Elizabeth David recommends this way: ''Lower each egg, still in its shell, into a saucepan of boiling water, for about 20 seconds; then retrieve it.
This has the effect of coating the egg neatly in its own white, and avoiding the swirling chaos that can occur.
To poach the egg—put a little wine vinegar in the boiling water, crack the egg into a small bowl and carefully lower it into the water. Encourage the egg to turn over, and after a minute or so, gingerly lift it out.''
Read more Elizabeth David recipes: roasted peppers, lettuce & almond salad, chicken & rice salad, fish parcel.
Read more tips.

tip: fish & seafood types cooking times

minutes	Stove top	Poach	Oven 200°C	Stew	Microwave 50%
whole fish 250 g
trout	8-10	8-10	15-20	15-20	3-5
sole	4-6	4-6	15-20	10-15	3-5
small sole	4-6	4-6	15-20	10-15	3-5
prawns	3-4	3-4	7-10	7-10	3-5
fillets 150 g
cod	4-6	4-6	15-20	8-10	2-3
saithe	4-6	4-6	15-20	8-10	2-3
red fish	3-5	3-5	15-20	8-10	2-3
plaice	3-5	3-5	15-20	8-10	2-3
salmon	4-6	4-6	15-20	8-10	2-3
catfish	4-6	4-6	15-20	8-10	2-3
swordfish	4-6	4-6	15-20	8-10	2-3
baked mussels	6-8
baked fillet	8-10
pieces 100 g
tuna	4-7	4-7	15-20	8-12	3-4
salmon	4-7	4-7	15-20	8-12	3-4