Café Lignac inspired Pan-Fried White Fish on Carrot Purée with butter and white wine sauce
After dining at Café Lignac in Paris' 7th arrondissement and savoring their plat du jour, this is my adaptation of a simple, yet oh so scrumptious white fish on a bed of puréed carrots, finished with a simple 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!