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Paris.
Dining in Paris just makes me smile upon reflection and in anticipation.
And so it was during my recent trip this past April, that a new café had opened up a handful of months prior, and was just one block from my vacation rental, Café Lignac (read more about the cafe here). Each time inquiring about the Plat du Jour, it was their white fish on carrot purée with butter and white wine sauce that prompted spontaneous sighs of appreciation and satiation.
The dish enjoyed in Paris this past April at Café Lignac.
Café Lignac in the 7th arrondissement, Paris
After many questions directed at the bartender and waitstaff while we dined at the bar, I did my best to listen carefully (as we spoke in French, and mine is all too shaky), and took notes, curious to see if I could make something similar when I arrived back home in Bend.
With simple, everyday ingredients, it is the process – how you cook them – that makes all the difference. Oh! And finding fresh, high quality ingredients most definitely as well. Remember to taste as you go, adjusting the amounts to suit your palate, and enjoy making this dish your own.
You will be sure to impress when you choose to make this dish for your next dinner, and be swept away to Paris when you do. ? I do hope you enjoy.
~At one point in the video, I incorrectly state that Café Lignac is in the 11th arrondisement; however throughout the rest of today’s episode, the 7th is mentioned which is correct.
~NOTE to readers who cannot see a video below: Be sure to turn off your ad-blocker if you use one as you will not be able to see a video at all if the ad-blocker is in use. Once you turn off your ad-blocker, you will need to restart your device to view the video.
Links shared during the episode:
- Café Lignac: Dining at Paris’ new restaurant, Café Lignac in the 7th
- Plat du Jour: French Dinners Made Easy by Susan Herrmann Loomis
- TSLL posts and podcast episodes from recent trip to Paris
- Food Processor, Cuisinart
- Mauviel copper sauce pans, multiple sizes, with lids
A mainstay in the kitchen – copper sauce pans in four different sizes. I found mine at a secondhand store, but once you have them, you will use them for your lifetime. A worthwhile investment and Mauviel is a French brand to trust.
~Cook & Share! I would love to share your Simply Luxurious Kitchen inspired experiences from your kitchen. Tag me on Instagram with @thesimplyluxuriouslife #tslkitchen (or directly tag @tsllcookingshow) and your post could appear on my Instagram feed as well as on a future Show Notes post (see readers’ pics below). Many readers have already shared their meals inspired by recipes from TSLKitchen. Check out TSLL’s IG Story Highlights – titled, Viewers’ Recipes. Below are a few readers that have shared recipes and pics that caught their eye (and tastebuds ?) since last season concluded. Thank you to everyone who has shared!
Sara shared her Oregon Chocolate Chip Cookie!
Michelle’s Sole Meunière and Haricots Verts look scrumptious and healthy. ☺️
Sarah’s Brioche Hamburger with homemade sweet potato fries and roasted broccoli – a viewer favorite recipe!
Digital Cookbooks for Each Season of the Show are available. If you are looking for all of the recipes for each previous season in one easy to find place without having to click through each episode for each season, I now have available a Digital Cookbook for Seasons 1, 2, 3, & 4 ($8). Shop here. (Note: All TOP Tier Members/Subscribers can download these cookbooks for free.) Season 5’s cookbook will be available at the end of this season (end of October).
Café Lignac inspired Pan-Fried White Fish on Carrot Purée with butter and white wine sauce
Ingredients
Carrot Purée
- 6-9 medium carrots – prepped, peeled and trimmed. Chop into 1" size pieces.
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup water
- fleur de sel
- freshly ground black pepper
Butter and White Wine Sauce
- 2-4 Tbsp unsalted butter, high quality
- 1-2 Tbsp white, dry wine
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Fish
- 6 ounces cod loin (other white fish options – any white meaty fish – halibut, etc.
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- fleur de sel
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Carrot Purée
- Prepare the carrots – peeled, topped and chopped into one inch pieces.
- Place in a 10" skillet with 2 Tbsp of unsalted butter over medium heat. Let the butter melt and toss the carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Add the 1/2 cup of water and bring to boil. Once brought to boil, reduce to simmer and cover. Steam for 17-20 minutes.
- You will know the carrots are steamed adequately if you can still stick a fork in them, but do so easily all the way through.
- While still warm, place all of the carrots (now steamed) and their juices from the pan, into a food processor. Cover the food processor, but wait until the fish is done cooking before you purée.
- Once the fish is resting, after you have removed it from the pan, add one more tablespoon of butter to the food processor and pulse the purée until as smooth as you prefer.
- Place the purée on each dish that will be served, creating a 'canyon' to place the sauce.
White Fish
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt 1-2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Then place the seasoned white fish into the pan (seasoned side down). Baste the fish while it cooks on each side by using a large spoon and scooping up the residual liquids of butter and fish remnants over the top of the fish. This will help the fish to cook more evenly. Season the second side before flipping. Flip after about 3-5 minutes. Cook the second side for 2-4 minutes.Baste the second side as well while the fish is cooking. Basting enables the flavors to be throughout the entire fish. Don't over cook the fish as it will continue to cook once you remove it from the pan and let it rest.
- After letting the fish rest for 5 minutes, but no longer, place on the carrot purée.
Butter and White Wine Sauce
- In a small sauce pan (optional: you can use the skillet that you cooked the fish in; however, you will have a 'dirty' sauce, but it will still taste delicious), place the butter and melt
- Add 2 Tbsp into the small sauce pan over medium heat. Melt the butter, then add the white wine (a wine you want to drink). Bring up to simmer and stir with a whisk. Let a bit of reduction occur, then add the lemon. Whisk together, and taste. Continue to taste, adding more butter to tone down too much lemon.
- Pour the sauce into the 'canyon' of the purée you have created on each of the dishes.
- Pour the wine you cooked with into wine glasses to pair with your dish and serve immediately. Enjoy!
~View more episodes of The Simply Luxurious Kitchen here.
Thus sounds delicious!! I am always looking for new ways to make fish—I finally have found that cooked correctly, fish is amazing. Unfortunately, I have a limited repertoire. Can’t wait to try this.
Tara,
I do thing you will like this recipe, and basting will help cook the fish evenly and deliciously as all of the flavored will be distributed thorough out. Have fun making it and enjoy! ☺️
This looks and sounds great. Thank you for preparing this recipe. It will be on my menu this week . Have a wonderful weekend.
Thank you for stopping by! I do hope you enjoy! ☺️
Good morning Shannon. I was so excited to see that you were this making this dish today as I remember when you posted about it during your trip to France. You are so right about how an “elevated” meal can, in fact, be quite simple to make. I’m really looking forward to getting into the kitchen and trying this one out. And thank you for teaching us how important it is to baste the fish. I have to mention that I love when you dance after you taste your food as I constantly do this when I take a bite of something so delicious ? How fortunate your friends are to take part in your recipe making days ? Wishing you a lovely weekend!
Thank you for stopping by Dani. Yes, dancing is spontaneous and you just let it happen! When the food is good it is hard not to dance! 🙂 I do hope you enjoy the recipe. Have a wonderful weekend!
Wow, this looks good, Shannon. And so simple. I’ve always avoided “French cooking” because of my preconception that it was both overly rich & overly complicated. But you’ve shown me (over a number of French & French-inspired recipes) that neither has to be true. Living here on the west coast means we’re blessed with easy access to fresh fish & seafood & I’m going to try this with halibut this week (as you astutely mention, halibut is insanely expensive even here but I think we all deserve a treat now & again!). Thank you 🙂
Oh, I am so excited for your meal Susanne! 🙂 Halibut – what a treat! And you can do this. So simple and your tastebuds will thank you! Thank you for stopping by today and sharing your hesitancy as I know you are not alone, and hopefully this video and others will inspire readers to savor the gifts of French cuisine. 🙂
Thank you, Shannon. Simple, elegant. I can absolutely feel the Parisian vibe here. I will cook this for dinner today. Certainly it will be delicious! 🙂
I do hope you enjoy! ☺️
Wow, this looks absolutely delicious, I can’t wait to try! As cod has also now become expensive in my area, I might have to experiment with roulades of flounder. Or just go with halibut and enjoy. The oboe is also my favorite instrument. My mother played oboe in high school and continued for a bit after business college. And I am really enjoying implementing your musical suggestions from “The Road to Le Papillion”. I search on Spotify for the particular song and then go to that song’s ‘radio’. Most times it’s a lovely revelation, only sometimes do you wonder what the heck the algorithms are doing. ?