Pike Dumplings with Nantua Sauce

Main Dishes | European cuisine

⏳ Time

3 hours 45 minutes

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

Pike dumplings served with Nantua sauce.

Ingredients

Wheat Flour - 3.5 oz
Chicken Egg - 3 pieces
Milk - to taste
Nutmeg - 3 pieces
Salt - to taste
Ground Black Pepper - to taste
Skate Fillet - 7.9 oz
Butter - 15.5 oz
Cream - 9 fl oz
Crayfish - 2 lbs
Champignons - 5.3 oz
Lemon - 1 piece

Step by Step guide

Step 1

In a saucepan, gradually mix 60 grams of flour with 125 ml of cold milk to avoid lumps. Season with salt and pepper, and add a generous pinch of grated nutmeg. Incorporate a beaten egg and mix well. Cook over high heat, stirring continuously, for about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Step 2

Chop the pike flesh in a blender. Add salt and pass it through a sieve, using a tablespoon to help. Gather the boned meat in a bowl. Add 150 g of cold choux pastry, 100 g of softened butter, 2 eggs, and 25 ml of cream. Mix with a spatula and, if needed, lightly salt. Place in the refrigerator for half an hour. Use a large plastic spoon to scoop the mixture from the bowl and form dumplings. Drop the dumplings into a pot of gently simmering water for 10 minutes. Note: do not allow the dumplings to boil. Remove them with a slotted spoon from the water and place them on a clean napkin.

Step 3

Place a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan and sauté the heads of the crayfish over medium heat until golden brown. Caramelize, stirring continuously (the crayfish should not stick to the bottom), and add 300 g of butter. Keep the butter on very low heat for 1 hour to absorb the crayfish juices and take on a reddish color. Remove from heat. Use a ladle to skim off the clear part of the butter. Strain through a fine sieve. In a separate saucepan, sauté the rinsed and finely chopped mushrooms over low heat with a little lemon juice for 4 minutes, then add the cream. Cook over low heat for another 15 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve.

Step 4

Prepare the béchamel sauce in another pot. Melt the remaining (40 g) butter, then add the flour. Cook for 2–3 minutes over low heat, stirring continuously. Gradually pour in the milk, mix well, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2–3 minutes over very low heat, then remove from the stove. The béchamel sauce is ready. Incorporate the cream with mushrooms and 100 g of shrimp butter. Taste and add salt if necessary.

Step 5

Preheat the oven on the grill setting. Place the pike quenelles in a baking dish and pour the Nantua sauce over them. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes and serve hot, directly in the dish in which they were baked.