Pike Quenelles with Nantua Sauce, My Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Classic
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I often return to pike quenelles with Nantua sauce when I need a dish that lets me be. In Lyon, with my sound-engineer schedule, I know all too well those days that run over, the irregular hours, and the desire to eat something straightforward, gentle, without unnecessary heaviness. At LaBouffe, that is precisely the kind of simple voice on taste and balance I seek, and this recipe says a lot about me: I do not need a dish that makes a big impression; I need one that holds its line. Pike quenelles, as they are served in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes—particularly around Lyon and in traditional restaurants—have the understated elegance I really like. I make a panade with milk, butter and flour, then add eggs to give it body before folding in finely blended pike flesh. I season with salt and pepper, sometimes add a hint of nutmeg, and mix just enough to keep the texture soft. Then I shape the quenelles, gently poach them in barely simmering water, and finish them in the oven with a properly bound Nantua sauce made with crayfish butter, cream and shellfish stock carefully reduced.
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Where: Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes