FISH POACHED IN BUTTERMILK

Fish Poached In Buttermilk image

Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the chef and an owner of Jo Jo, discovered this pairing one night when he tried a stuffing for poussin with the fish and buttermilk. It worked. The combination of fish and buttermilk, he said, was a natural. ''If you look at poached fish in classic cooking,'' he said, ''they're always being cooked in milk.'' The chef found that buttermilk kept the flesh of the fish white and added a desirable touch of acidity.

Provided by Amanda Hesser

Categories dinner, project, main course

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

8 tablespoons butter
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups cubed white mushrooms
1/2 tablespoon thyme leaves
1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups dry crusts of rye bread, cubed
3/4 cup chicken stock
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound spinach, stemmed and washed
Pinch of sugar
4 6-ounce fillets of turbot, cod, halibut or black sea bass
Cayenne pepper
3 cups buttermilk
6 sprigs dill, leaves stripped from stems
Juice of 1 lemon, to taste

Steps:

In a medium saute pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium low heat. Add shallot and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme and garlic. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add bread, and stir to combine. Add stock and simmer until bread has soaked up the liquid. Season with salt and pepper, stir in chives. Keep warm.
Place olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter into a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add spinach and toss, using tongs, to wilt the leaves. Add sugar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
Season both sides of fish with salt and cayenne pepper. In a saute pan large enough for fish to fit in a single layer, combine fish, buttermilk and dill. Cover and place over medium heat. When buttermilk begins to simmer, cook for 2 minutes. Turn fish and cook for about another minute. Fish is done when firm to the touch.
Remove fish from pan and keep warm. In a blender or with an immersion blender, whirl buttermilk with remaining 4 tablespoons butter. When it is re-emulsified, season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
In four shallow bowls, arrange spinach. Place fish on top, pour buttermilk sauce over each, topping it off with a spoonful of stuffing. Serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 598, UnsaturatedFat 13 grams, Carbohydrate 31 grams, Fat 33 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 46 grams, SaturatedFat 17 grams, Sodium 1443 milligrams, Sugar 12 grams, TransFat 1 gram