Recipe courtesy of Le cafe du port
Sturgeon Fillets Served with a Fig and Corn Cream, a Licorice Flavored Crustacean Broth, and Stuffed Artichokes
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 servings
- Total: 1 hr 25 min
- Prep: 30 min
- Cook: 55 min
Ingredients
4 sturgeon fillets, totaling about 2 pounds, skinless
Corn and Fish Cream:
About 4 ounces chicken consomme
About 5 ounces cream
About 3 1/2 ounces white polenta
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dash lemon juice
About 1-ounce fig puree
Crustacean Broth:
Olive oil, to taste
About 6 pounds langoustine carcasses
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
Parsley sprigs, to taste
Thyme, to taste
Bay leaf, to taste
Star anise, to taste
2 liters water
About 2 1/2 ounces powdered licorice
1 pint cream
Artichoke preparation:
4 large artichokes
Lemon juice
Artichoke filling:
About 1 3/4 ounces carrots
About 1 3/4 ounces shallots
About 1 3/4 ounces zucchini
About 1 3/4 ounces red bell peppers
About 1/2 ounce country ham
Olive oil
2 chopped up artichoke hearts (from above)
Fresh chives, to taste
Directions
- Fish: Using a nonstick skillet, caramelize the sturgeon fish. Set aside.
- Corn and Fig Cream: Boil the chicken consomme and the cream. Incorporate the polenta by sprinkling it into the pan. Let it cook for 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Add the fig puree.
- Crustacean Broth: Heat some olive oil in a pot. When the oil is hot, add the langoustines to heat through. Add the carrot, onion, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and star anise. Cook for a few minutes. Add the water and powdered licorice. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes. Pass the mixture through a fine strainer and add the cream.
- Stuffed Artichokes: Trim each artichoke, 1 at a time, to reveal the heart. Cut off the stem and the top of the artichoke, then cut away all the outer leaves in 1 circular motion. Use a spoon to scrape out the pointy thistles, and use the knife to trim away any remaining leaves or husk. You should be left with just the heart (artichoke should be in the shape of a little bowl) Rub the hearts with lemon juice. Place artichokes into a pot of cold water with enough water to cover. Cook on medium heat until a knife easily slides through the artichoke heart, about 15 to 20 minutes. Once artichoke hearts are cool enough to handle, set 2 aside and chop the other 2 into small pieces. You will use the chopped up artichoke for the artichoke filling.
- Cut the carrots, shallots, zucchini, bell peppers, and ham in a "brunoise" fashion (small cubes). Saute all the ingredients in olive oil, in the order given. Do not overcook. Fold in the chopped artichokes. Stuff the 2 artichoke hearts with the filling. Set aside.
- To finish the dish: On the center of a large platter, place the fig polenta. Arrange the sturgeon around the polenta. Add the stuffed artichoke hearts to the plate. Garnish the plate with chives. Drizzle the platter with the Crustacean Broth and serve.