Quenelles Sauce Boursin
Author: 
Cuisine: French
Serves: 4 servings
 
Ingredients
  • ½ pound fresh pike or halibut steaks or filets, boned and skinned
  • ½ cup water
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg white
  • Boursin sauce:
  • 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Dash of white pepper
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 2 ounces Boursin cheese (about half of a container)
Instructions
  1. Cut fish into small pieces and place in a blender. Cover and blend on medium speed, scraping down sides frequently, until fish is a smooth puree.
  2. Heat water, salt, pepper, and butter over medium heat until butter melts and mixture boils; remove from heat. Mix in flour all at once. Beat in egg, then egg white. Beat until smooth. Stir in fish puree.
  3. Heat 1-1/2 inches of water to boiling in a 10-inch skillet. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Using about ¼ cup fish mixture for each quenelle, shape into ovals with 2 spoons. Drop into boiling water. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer quenelles until almost double in size, about 10 minutes. (I did this in 2 batches).
  4. Remove quenelles from water with a slotted spoon, draining well. Place 2 quenelles in each of 4 individual au gratin dishes or ramekins. Spoon about ¼ cup Boursin sauce over each serving. Bake uncovered until sauce is hot and bubbly and quenelles are heated through, about 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh chives or watercress.
  5. To make Boursin sauce:
  6. Melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper; mix until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in half-and-half gradually. Return to heat. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Stir in cheese; cook and stir until cheese is melted.
Recipe by The Culinary Cellar at https://theculinarycellar.com/sphere-magazine-june-1973/