Yeah, sorry, it doesn’t have a shorter name. But it’s good. It’s easy. It’s cheap. It’s baddass (ça casse des briques). It’s also one of Joël’s recipes, in his great big & ambitious opus, The Complete Robuchon. We (as in I) like Joël. He’s not a supermodel, bless him, but dang he’s sharp.
[Have I oversaturated my lemon slice? Sometimes it feels like it.]
After I rescued the book from our pup’s brand new teeth (and after she shredded my brand new Alfred de Musset copy, damn the little devil), I settled on making this fun fish dish. The original recipe used monkfish, but even batting my eyelashes at the fishmonger (who usually falls for it every time) didn’t alter the 27 euros/kg pricetag. So, 14 euros/kg, pollack it was. Plus I got a free rendition of a Riccardo Cocciante song* to go with it. Make the most of embarassing situations, I say. Sing along.
For 5 people, chop 2 medium onions and 6 shallots, spread them on the bottom of a large baking dish. Add a glug of olive oil, a pinch of salt and a little black pepper, a few laurel leaves and thyme sprigs, toss to coat.
Here we go. Nice n’ cosy.
Lay the pollack fillets (2lb+a corny Cocciante song) on top, and cover with tomatoes (I used about 5 small ones), zucchini (2 small ones, peeled in stripes), and a lemon, all of them thinly sliced. Pour a cup of white wine on top - Joël recommends Chardonnay but I used Riesling (there she goes, waving her little Alsacian flag again). Add more salt, pepper, olive oil and thyme, liberally, and bake in preheated oven (400°F) for about 30 minutes, or until everybody in that dish looks cooked like they’re back from Saint Trop’. Toasty but glam, that is.
On another note, I should really get to bed sometime soon. It’s like, way past midnight and Joël is waiting.
*Psst, check out the embarrassingly bad lip-sync. Maybe he thought people would focus on the big hair. Which we kind of do. Personnally, I’m spellbound.
mais j’ai rien suivi on dirait : tu es de retour en France? (j’imagine mal un poissonnier à NY chanter du Richard Cocciante… je me goure pê…);)
Voui, de retour en France
je déménage à Tours dans deux semaines… D’aucuns ont dit que la transition NYC Tours allait être rude, mais je n’en crois rien, héhé.
a lovely & tasty fish summer meal!!
What could be better then this?
J’aime le glug d’huile. Whaaaa?? batting your eyelashes at the fishmonger wasn’t enough to get you a rebate? What is France coming to?
Tell me about it, I was appalled.
DEFINITELY oversaturated. I think you have been looking at too much zenchef.
(I’m kidding, of course; it looks lovely!)
Ca a l’air assez appétissant, manque plus que l’odeur !
mmm good, but my blazing question is
of course
what kind of pup?
Hey, the name says it all. It sounds and looks delicious!
So you’re batting your eyelids to fishmongers?! What have your life become woman?!
Oversaturated!? … my pictures are oversaturated!? boohooooohoooo….. sniff…. Boohoooooooo..
Geez.. that gravatar kind of sucks doesn’t it?
Dis.. Joel il ronfle.. ou il fait un bruit de crapaud quand il dort?
So hungry for fresh fish. This came around at a good time.
ROTFLMAO! I love your blog! Okay, this looks like a super yummy and delicious version of what my mom attempted to make when I was growing up which turned out dry, like eating socks. You and Joël make one hell of a team! Love this dish! And how is he in bed anyway?