Seafood Timbales With Tarragon Beurre Blanc

SEAFOOD TIMBALES WITH TARRAGON BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Rinse and drain salmon, shrimp, and scallops. Cut salmon into 1-inch chunks.
• In a food processor, whirl seafood to a thick paste. Add egg whites, salt, cayenne, and nutmeg; whirl until blended. Then add cream and whirl until very smooth.
• Butter 8 molds or ramekins (1/3- to 1/2-cup size). Spoon seafood mixture equally into molds and spread level.
• Pour 1/2 inch of boiling water into a 12- by 17-inch baking pan. Set molds in water and cover pan tightly with foil.
• Bake in a 350° regular or convection oven until a metal skewer inserted in center of timbales comes out clean, about 15 minutes. With a wide spatula, lift timbales from water. If done up to 30 minutes ahead, cover loosely with foil and let stand at room temperature.
• Spoon Tarragon Beurre Blanc equally onto eight warm plates (see notes). Run a knife between timbales and sides of molds. Invert a mold over sauce on each plate to release timbale; remove mold. Garnish timbales with fresh chives.
• Tarragon Beurre Blanc: In a 2- to 3-quart pan over high heat, boil 1/3 cup white wine vinegar, 1/3 cup dry vermouth, 3 tablespoons minced shallots, and 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon until reduced to 1/4 cup, 5 to 8 minutes. Let stand at room temperature up to 2 hours.Just before serving, set pan over high heat, add 3/4 cup (3/8 lb.) butter, and stir constantly until it's melted and bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm.

GRILLED FISH WITH TARRAGON BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• 1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook until the liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 9 minutes). Remove from the heat, and strain through a fine sieve over a measuring cup, pressing the mixture to release liquid. Discard the solids. Return the liquid to the pan.
• 2. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, stirring with a whisk until the butter is incorporated. Stir in the chopped tarragon.
• 3. Sprinkle the fish evenly with salt and pepper. Heat a large grill pan (or cook on your grill.....preferred) over medium-high heat. Coat the grill with cooking spray. Add fish, and cook for 5 minutes on each side or until the desired degree of doneness. Serve with the sauce.

FISH FILLETS WITH GRAPEFRUIT TARRAGON BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Sprinkle the shallot into a buttered shallow baking dish just large enough to hold the fish fillets in one layer, on the shallot arrange the fillets, skin sides down, and pour the wine and the clam juice over them. Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper to taste and bake them, covered with a buttered piece of wax paper, in the middle of a preheated 425°F. oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are just cooked through. Transfer the fillets with a slotted spatula to a platter and keep them warm, covered.
• Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve into a small saucepan, add the grapefruit juice, and boil the mixture until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup. Add the cream and boil the mixture until it is reduced by half. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the butter, 1 bit at a time, lifting the pan from the heat occasionally to let the mixture cool and adding each new bit of butter before the previous one has melted completely. (The sauce should not get hot enough to liquefy. It should be the consistency of thin hollandaise.) Whisk in the tarragon and salt and pepper to taste. With the slotted spatula transfer each fillet, skin side down, to a plate. Pour one fourth of the sauce over each fillet and arrange some of the grapefruit sections around each plate.

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WITH TARRAGON BEURRE BLANC RECIPE

Steps:

• In a small sauce pan, combine the shallots, vinegar, wine and peppercorns. Bring to simmer over medium-low heat and cook until the liquid is reduced to about tablespoon. Remove from heat and stir in whipping cream. Reduce the heat to low and return pan to heat. Add the chopped butter, one piece at a time, allowing each piece of butter to melt before adding the next. Whisk as the butter melts. If the sauce begins to simmer, pull the pan from the heat and add another piece of butter to cool the sauce. The sauce will be the consistency of hollandaise when all the butter is added. Strain the beurre blanc through a fine sieve into a small bowl, pressing on the solids with a spatula. Stir in salt and tarragon. Taste and add more salt if needed. Place the bowl with the beurre blanc in a water bath (a pan of hot water) to keep warm while cooking the scallops. The sauce is delicate and will separate if too cold or hot. Place scallops in a single layer on paper towels, pat dry. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Season the scallops generously wit salt and pepper. Add only enough scallops as the pan will comfortably hold. Work in batches if necessary. Do not crowd the pan of scallops. Sear 2 minutes on one side. Use tongs to gently turn over and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer cooked scallops to a plate and hold in warm oven while finishing all the scallops. Divide beurre blanc among 4 plates and top each with an even portion of scallops. Serve immediately.

SEAFOOD TAGLIATELLE, SPANISH-STYLE

Steps:

• Put the saffron in a small bowl and pour over 2 tbsp boiling water. Set aside to infuse. Heat the oil in a large, wide pan, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes.
• Tip in the onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add bay leaves and peppers and cook 4-5 minutes more. Stir in peas and broad beans and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and put aside.
• Pour wine into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Tip in mussels, cover and cook for 3-5 minutes until mussels open. Discard any that remain closed. Drain over a bowl to catch the liquid. Allow to settle for 5 minutes.
• Pour the mussel liquid into the pan with the chicken and veg. Add saffron and chicken stock then cool and chill everything until ready to serve. You can prepare this up to 3 hours ahead.
• To serve, cook the tagliatelle as pack instructions. Reheat chicken and simmer for 2 minutes. Add prawns, cook for 1 minute, add cream and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Add mussels, parsley and seasoning. Toss to heat through. Drain tagliatelle and add to the sauce. Serve with lemon wedges and fresh crusty bread.

RADISHES WITH TARRAGON BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Cook shallot in 1 tablespoon butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add wine and boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup.
• Reduce heat to low and whisk in remaining 5 tablespoons butter, 1 piece at a time, lifting pan occasionally to cool mixture and adding each piece of butter before previous one has completely melted. Whisk in juice, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve beurre blanc in a separate dish with radishes and salt.