For our entrees, Tricia had Lobster pasta with wild mushrooms and a tarragon thermador sauce and I had Cod loin with black trumpet demi glace, spring vegetables and pommes mousseline. The presentations were equally as stunning as the food and the servers were friendly engaging and knowledgeable.
Chef Ahmed was gracious enough to come speak to us about his restaurant and enjoy a glass of wine with us at the end of our meal. We were inspired by our experience and decided to use our creative energy to concoct our own French bistro style dinner at home. Having loved both the cod and the wine we drank with it (Domaine Cherrier Et Fils Sancerre), we chose those two items to be our focus. Tricia found the exact wine we had enjoyed for about $27 and I decided to sear cod loins and serve them over a potato puree with spring vegetables in a white wine broth. To experience the full magic of the Hourglass Brasserie, one must eat there, but even if you can’t make it there, you too can enjoy Bistro quality food and wine at home!
About the Wine: Sancerre is an appellation located in the Loire Valley of France. Both red and white wines come out of the Loire Valley (Sancerre Blanc and Sancerre Rouge) and this wine happens to be a white. The grape is Sauvignon Blanc and we can’t tell you how much we loved it! Ripe fruit and aromatic notes of peach, minerals and a hint of green pepper on the nose gave way to a lush and smooth wine with a delicate refined quality. This wine is a perfect match for fish and we think you are going to love it with our Pan Seared Cod recipe coming soon!!
Cheers!
Dave and Trish
Pan Seared Cod Loin
with Potato Puree and Seasonal Vegetables
This dish is not the easiest thing to make. Searing fish is harder than searing meat as it tends to stick to the pan. A non stick pan will not sear as well as a stainless steel pan however, so you want to use a good amount of oil to get the crispy crust on the fish. This is totally achievable, it just might take some practice. If you pull this off though, you will make a dinner that your friends will always remember. This dish is inspired by the delicate attention to detail I found when dining at the Hourglass Brasserie. I hope you enjoy it!
2 lbs. Atlantic Cod loins, about 4 pieces, 1 1/2 inches thick
8 small carrots peeled, ends trimmed, tops intact
8 Brussels sprouts halved
1 cup of white whine
1 1/2 cup of chicken stock, homemade preferred or vegetable broth
1 shallot
8 medium size potatoes, peeled
Fresh parsley
2 lemons
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil
Good olive oil--you know, as opposed to the bad stuff :)
1/2 pint of heavy cream plus more if needed
1 stick of butter
To make the potatoes: Peel and quarter each one. Cook in boiling water for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and place in a food processor. Add a half cup of heavy cream, a half cup of chicken stock and 3/4 of a stick of butter. Puree in the food processor until silky smooth adding more liquid as needed to make a fluid silky texture. Season with salt and pepper, then puree again and taste to make sure it is right. Set the potatoes aside in a sauce pan.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. To make the vegetables, heat up a medium sized pot with water. Bring to a boil and cook the carrots first for about 2 minutes. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and throw them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Cook the Brussels sprouts in the same water for 1 minute and add them to the carrots and iced water. Remove the vegetables from the water and set aside. To sear the cod fillets, make sure they are patted dry with a paper towel. Season one side liberally with salt and pepper. Pour about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of vegetable oil into a heavy bottom sauté pan. Put the pan on high heat and allow the oil to get really, really hot. The hotter the better, we want it smokin' baby! When the oil begins to smoke its ready. This can take a couple minutes. Place the fish seasoned side down into the pan. Do NOT touch it. Allow the fish to cook for about 3 minutes or until golden brown on the edges. Remove the fish carefully from the pan with a spatula and place on a greased baking sheet seared side up. When I did this I did it in batches or you could use two pans. I put two pieces of fish in the pan at a time. Don't try to do more. You will need to change the oil and clean the pan for the second round. I know it’s a lot of oil but the results will be awful if you don't do this. Once all the fish is seared, place it in the oven and roast for 15 minutes.
Keep your potatoes warm at this time by putting the pot on low heat. Heat up your sauté pan with a drizzle of olive oil to coat the pan. Put the heat on high and when the oil is just smoking, brown the brussel sprouts. Make sure that they are patted dry with a paper towel or rag before putting them into the hot oil. Flip them once and then add the carrots and the chopped shallot to the pan. Cook for a minute then add 1 cup of wine and a half cup of chicken stock. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Cook the sauce down just a little. Your fish should be done at this point. Remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for just a minute.
While it is resting, take your warmed potato puree and place a generous dollop onto each plate. Top with a piece of fish, and place the vegetables on the side. Spoon the sauce from the vegetables around the plate. Using a microplane (see note) grate some lemon zest on top of each piece. You will use about 1 lemon for four dishes. Top with some fresh parsley and a light drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!
Note: A Microplane is a type of grater you can buy at hardware and kitchen stores. It can be used to grate anything from citrus zest to cheese, fresh ginger or garlic, or anything in the world you can think of. One will last you a life time so it is a great investment.
Hi this is Dave, commenting on my own post:) If you are vegetarian you can make this dish by substiting vegetable for chicken stock and using a seared portabella mushroom cap instead of the fish. Just liberally salt and pepper a portabella mushroom top and sear it. You don't need to use much oil,just enough to coat the pan. Roast it in the oven at 375 degrees until it is cooked through. Follow the same directions for the potatoes and vegetables.
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