POISSONIER: TILAPIA & PORT WINE REDUCTION

Out of the frying pan, into the fire and onto the line; tonight we return to Possonier (fish station) for the first time in Level Four. It will be the first time since we graduated to Level Four that we'll only be preparing one dish for service.

More after class on the jump...

DISH: Filet De Tilapia Cuit Poêlé, Sauce Au Porto, Tilapia With Wild Mushrooms In A Port Wine Reduction

RECIPE:

The Sauce
1 L Excellent Quality Port
1 L Good Quality Sherry Vinegar

The Garnish
125 ML Corn Oil
120 G Cremini Mushrooms, Stems Trimmed, Cut in ¼-inch Thick Slices
120 G Shitake Mushroom Caps, Cut in ¼-inch Thick Slices
120 G Oyster Mushroom Caps, Cut in ¼-inch Thick Slices
120 G Portobello Mushroom Caps, Cut in ¼-inch Thick Slices
3 Branches Fresh Thyme
2 Garlic CLoves, Halved
2 Large Shallots, Ciselées
100 G Unsalted Butter
Fine Sea Salt and Freshly Ground White Pepper

The Fish
8 Portions Tilapia Fillet, 100 G Portions, Skin On
½ Teaspoon Chinese Five-Spice Powder
2½ Tablespoons Minced Fresh Chives

Procedure:

SAUCE Bring the port to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. (When reducing liquor on a gas stove, never let the flames extend above the bottom edge of the pan). Lower the heat slightly, and simmer until the port is reduced to 125 ML. Add the vinegar and simmer the mixture until it is reduced to a syrupy consistency and about 175 ML. Lower the heat as needed to keep the sauce from burning around the edges.

GARNISH Heat multiple sauté pans until very hot and add 2 tablespoons of corn oil to each. Cook each mushroom separately. Lower the heat to medium and sauté them until browned, about 4 minutes. Turn the heat to low and divide the shallots, thye, garlic, and 4 tablespoons of butter among the sauté pans. Season and cook until the shallots are softened and each type of mushroom is tender, about 6 minutes more. Discard the garlic and thyme and comvine the mixtures.

FOR FISH AND SERVICE Season the fish on the flesh side with salt and pepper and on the skin side with pepper and just a touch of salt. Sprinkle the five-spice powder over the skin and rub it in. Clean the sauté pans and divide the remaining 4 tablespoons of corn oil between them. Place both over high heat until just smoking. Add the tilapia to the sauté pans skin side down and briefly hold the fillets down with a spatula to prevent the skin from shrinking. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté until the skin is crispy and borwn and the fish is three-quarters done. Turn the fish over and remvoe the pan from the fire. The fillet will continue to cook through slowly. Set aside and keep warm. Meanwhile, reheat a portion of the mushrooms. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Cut the remaining butter into ½-inch pieces. Lift the saucepan a few inches above the heat and add the butter. Siwrl the pan back and forth until the butter is melted and incorporated into the sauce (vanner); this will take about 3 minutes. Do not stir or whisk. The sauce will be shiny and clear. To serve: Stir the chives into the mushrooms and arrange them in the center of 4 large plates. Top with the snapper, drizzle the sauce around the mushrooms, and serve immediately.

BREAKDOWN: First let me say that I love school but we're all getting very tired. Between school and work and the final project there's a lot to do. It was good for us as a group to only be working on one recipe today. One of our group went over to the meat station (Saucier) to help them out because they were down a few people.

That meant we had four people to prepare our dish, which worked out fine. I was skeptical about this dish because the port reduction and the vinegar reduction made for a sweet sauce but it ended up working out well in the end, a decent balance with the earthy mushrooms.

For restaurant service we multiplied the recipe above by four times. Some significant alterations? We scooped the gills out of the portobello mushrooms after cleaning them well and scattered the black gills on a parchment-lined sheet pan, then drizzled them with oil and baked them for about 20 minutes at 200°F. We used the blackened-crumbly, baked mushroom-gills as garnish scattered around the fish. Again, I was skeptical at first, but it worked out really well to have the crunchy bits as contrast on the plate.

We also did a risotto, sweating three emince onions in butter, then sweat two pounds of Arborio Risotto before adding X5 the chicken stock by volume of risotto. When the risotto was soft we spread it out on a parchment-lined sheet pan and reheated it for service with stock, white wine, heavy cream, salt and pepper. Very tasty.

Careful cooking the fish! One side was sprinkled with the Chinese 5-spice while the other was seasoned with salt and pepper and dredged in fine cornmeal. The fish was sauteed in butter and oil and blackens quickly so we had to be mindful.

We ended up using about five or six bottles of port for the reduction because it boils away to nothing. Lots of butter went into this reduction and it bubbles up in a quasi-caramelized froth until it incorporates.We weren't the only ones who were tired though. Elsewhere in the kitchen after service some of our other classmates were getting their goof on (at right, Chad hams it up in Garde Manger at the end of the night).

But there's no rest for the weary, especially in the kitchen. There's always something to do. Before we left for the night we helped the Saucier folks chop up some beef bones to be used for a stock. At left, Christine trying the two-hand technique.