Paupiette of Ashley River Shad Roe with Wild Mushrooms
This entree is a dressed-up version of a Southern favorite. A duxelle stuffing is prepared from several mushroom varieties to accompany the shad roe that is beautifully enrobed in thin potato slices.
Ingredients
- Shad Roe - 4, trimmed clean
- Flour for dusting
- Olive Oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Baking Potatoes - 4, large, peeled
- Unsalted Butter - 3 tablespoons, melted
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Leeks - 2, white parts only, thinly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Bordeaux Sauce
- Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Shallots - 3, peeled and sliced
- Fish Stock (see Basics) - 1 cup
- Bordeaux wine - 2 cups, good red
- Fresh thyme sprigs - 4, chopped
- Heavy Cream - 1 tablespoon
- Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Mushroom Duxelle Stuffing
- Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup
- Bacon - 4 slices, minced
- Shallots - 3, sliced
- Garlic - 1 tablespoon, minced
- Shiitake Mushrooms - 1/2 pound, stems trimmed
- Portobello Mushrooms - 1/2 pound, stems removed
- Oyster Mushrooms - 1/2 pound, stems trimmed
- Fresh Thyme - 2 tablespoons, minced
- Fresh Sage - 2 tablespoons, minced
- Bordeaux wine - 2 cups, good red
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Garnish
- Yellow Beets - 8 to 12, boiled
- Fresh thyme sprigs - 4
Instructions
To prepare the stuffing: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and render the bacon. Add the shallots and garlic; cook for 1 minute. Do not brown. Add all of the cleaned mushrooms and the thyme and sage; saute for about 5 minutes. Add the Bordeaux wine and reduce the cooking liquid until dry. Season with salt and pepper, then refrigerate mixture for 30 minutes in a perforated pan to remove excess liquid. When mixture is cooled, chop finely.
To prepare the paupiette: Preheat the oven to 375 F. Trim and clean each shad roe set and season with salt and pepper. Dust with flour, shaking off the excess. In large skillet over medium high heat, sear shad roe in olive oil for one minute on each side. Remove from heat and cool. Cut each potato lengthwise into very thin slices using a vegetable slicer or mandolin. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a large baking sheet and brush parchment paper with melted butter. Lay potato slices over parchment paper until baking sheet is full. Brush potato slices with melted butter; season with salt and pepper. Cover potato slices with another sheet of parchment paper, then top with a second baking sheet to keep potato slices flattened during baking. Bake just until potato slices are translucent. Remove from heat and chill. When potato slices have chilled, place a large sheet of plastic wrap on work surface. Choose potato slices of approximately the same size and place in the center of the plastic wrap, overlapping each potato slice at the edges, forming a rectangular base. Top shad roe with a layer of mushroom duxelle stuffing; place on top of potato base. Fold extending potato slices over shad roe, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Repeat process with remaining three shad roe. Place into the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes to chill.
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Remove plastic wrap and place each shad roe package into a preheated non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Brown on each side, then place into the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside; keep warm.
To prepare the Bordeaux sauce: In a large saute pan over medium high heat, saute shallots in oil until softened. Add the wine and thyme sprigs and cook three to four minutes, stirring often. Add fish stock and cook until reduced by one third. Add the cream and whisk in butter one tablespoon at a time, stirring until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
To prepare the leeks: In a large skillet over medium high heat, saute the leeks in butter until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
To serve: Place sauteed leeks in the center of each serving plate. Place shad roe packages on top of leeks. Pool sauce on the plates. Garnish with beets and fresh thyme sprigs.
