This recipe was kindly given me by Prince Philippe Poniatowski, who makes superb Vouvray at Le Clos Baudoin.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- A fish
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- White Wine
- Olive oil
- (See below for exact amounts)
Preparation:
"This recipe can accommodate several kinds of fish," he writes, "but will work best with what is known as a bass in the US (I have never seen a true US bass -- only striped bass, and what Harrod's fish shop in London said was bass imported from the US).
"In France we call this fish Daurade or Dorade; there are four varieties: the Gray Dorade, the Pink Dorade, the Marble Dorade and the Royal Dorade, which is the best because of its firm and tasty flesh.
The four kinds of Dorade are shaped alike and range in size up to 3 to 4 kg [6-9 pounds]. They are all easy to identify; the Royal Dorade has silver sides, a red spot on each cheek, and a yellow to gold swollen bump between the eyes, almost on the forehead, which with imagination looks like a crown. It is an expensive fish in France, but well worth it, almost better than very good caviar!
"Clean and scale the fish but don't wash it. This is a must for all fish however you cook them; simply wipe them with an old cloth, or better yet, tissue paper. Stuff the fish with herbs, thyme, or leaves from a laurel tree (bay leaves).
"Select a heat-proof dish about the same size as the fish and 5 to 8 cm.deep [2-3 inches]. Peel 2-3 potatoes, slice them, and line the bottom of the dish with them. Follow the potatoes with a layer of well-ripened tomatoes cut into halves, quarters, or eighths, depending upon their size, put the fish on them, and surround the fish with more tomatoes. Slip 4 or 5 unskinned garlic cloves between the tomatoes. You can add also olives depending on the kind of fish; I don't with the royal dorade because I want to keep the fish's taste as natural as possible.
"Depending upon the size of your fish and the depth of the dish, pour one or two glasses of a dry white wine and a half a glass or more of good olive oil over the fish. Lightly season the fish with sea salt and pepper and, depending upon its length, lay 3 to 5 slices of lemon, each on a bay leaf, on it.
"Set the fish in an oven preheated so it is hot (235 °C, 450 °F) and reduce the heat immediately to moderate (180 °C, 350 °F). A thick fish such as a dorade should be baked 40 to 50 minutes, but watch it carefully, because an overcooked fish is wasted. To test for doneness, check it with a knife to see if the flesh is loose on the bones. Another sign that the fish is cooked is when the slices of lemon start to brown and the bay leaves start to curl; but you must know your oven.
"Don't turn the fish over; serve it in its dish. For the first helping serve your guests, lest they make a mess of it; let them worry about the second helping. When the fish is gone, save the juices left in the dish for tomorrow's fish soup."
"In France we call this fish Daurade or Dorade; there are four varieties: the Gray Dorade, the Pink Dorade, the Marble Dorade and the Royal Dorade, which is the best because of its firm and tasty flesh.
The four kinds of Dorade are shaped alike and range in size up to 3 to 4 kg [6-9 pounds]. They are all easy to identify; the Royal Dorade has silver sides, a red spot on each cheek, and a yellow to gold swollen bump between the eyes, almost on the forehead, which with imagination looks like a crown. It is an expensive fish in France, but well worth it, almost better than very good caviar!
"Clean and scale the fish but don't wash it. This is a must for all fish however you cook them; simply wipe them with an old cloth, or better yet, tissue paper. Stuff the fish with herbs, thyme, or leaves from a laurel tree (bay leaves).
"Select a heat-proof dish about the same size as the fish and 5 to 8 cm.deep [2-3 inches]. Peel 2-3 potatoes, slice them, and line the bottom of the dish with them. Follow the potatoes with a layer of well-ripened tomatoes cut into halves, quarters, or eighths, depending upon their size, put the fish on them, and surround the fish with more tomatoes. Slip 4 or 5 unskinned garlic cloves between the tomatoes. You can add also olives depending on the kind of fish; I don't with the royal dorade because I want to keep the fish's taste as natural as possible.
"Depending upon the size of your fish and the depth of the dish, pour one or two glasses of a dry white wine and a half a glass or more of good olive oil over the fish. Lightly season the fish with sea salt and pepper and, depending upon its length, lay 3 to 5 slices of lemon, each on a bay leaf, on it.
"Set the fish in an oven preheated so it is hot (235 °C, 450 °F) and reduce the heat immediately to moderate (180 °C, 350 °F). A thick fish such as a dorade should be baked 40 to 50 minutes, but watch it carefully, because an overcooked fish is wasted. To test for doneness, check it with a knife to see if the flesh is loose on the bones. Another sign that the fish is cooked is when the slices of lemon start to brown and the bay leaves start to curl; but you must know your oven.
"Don't turn the fish over; serve it in its dish. For the first helping serve your guests, lest they make a mess of it; let them worry about the second helping. When the fish is gone, save the juices left in the dish for tomorrow's fish soup."
