My easygoing recipe for pike-perch with beurre blanc, in the Pays de la Loire
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I cook the way I live the rest of my life: without rushing things, with simple gestures and the desire to move at my own pace. In LaBouffe, the Recipe tag speaks to me for exactly that reason, because it brings me back to what I can make after a walk or before an episode of a series, when I need a meal that helps me make peace with the day without putting me under pressure. In the Pays de la Loire, I like returning to a dish with character that is not complicated, and pike-perch with beurre blanc is exactly in that spirit. It is a Loire recipe, rooted around Nantes and the valley, which I find both understated and highly evocative: river fish, butter emulsified with white wine, a shallot, a little lemon, salt, pepper, and nothing unnecessary. I choose very fresh pike-perch, which I lightly salt before cooking it gently in a pan or steaming it, depending on how I feel that day. Alongside it, I reduce a finely chopped shallot with a little vinegar and dry white wine from the Pays de la Loire, then whisk in cold butter to make that supple, almost silky beurre blanc that is the dish’s signature. I serve it with new potatoes or steamed vegetables, because I like a dish to remain clear, balanced and comforting. What I like about this regional recipe is that it does not try to impress. Above all, it calls for attention, and that suits me quite well. I do not need spectacular cooking to feel good; rather, I need a calm setting, a dish that respects my appetite, my mood and my desire for simplicity. Beurre blanc from the Pays de la Loire has that enveloping quality that suits me when I am feeling a little reserved, or when I have spent the day counting, organising and keeping track of things. There is something very right about this pairing of restraint and indulgence. When I make it, I find a little space for myself again—without noise or excess—with the quiet pleasure of eating something truly rooted in a region and in a way of living everyday life.
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Where: Pays de la Loire