Fall
Seared Walleye and Spanish Sofrito
- Prep time 20 minutes
- Cook time 30 minutes
- Serves 4
Author Notes
What is sofrito? It is a basic technique present in several cuisines around the world. In France, or in the French-speaking world, it is called mirepoix, an equal quantity of carrot, celery and onion cut very finely. It is found in several hearty sauces such as bolognese and ragù or in simmered meat or fish dishes. So we often cook sofrito without even knowing it! Accompanied by other vegetables, sofrito becomes a wonderful accompaniment or side dish. The name chosen here is “sofrito” (one F, one T) which comes from Spanish language. We therefore find it in Spanish and Catalan, French but also Italian, Portuguese and in Latin American cuisine. Soffritto, sofrito, sofregit, sofrit, refogado, mirepoix… Its name changes depending on where you are in the world and what you put in it. Cuisine no longer has boundaries, right?
I chose to serve this personal version of sofrito with a pan-fried fish, lake walleye which in Canada comes to us from Ontario and Quebec (we are in peak season right now). If this is a difficult variety for you to find, opt for sea bass instead. If you are not a fish lover, I suggest you try it with a good homemade sausage, well-seasoned and grilled on the barbecue or a nice Sunday night roasted chicken.
NOTE : Pay special attention to the technique used to cook fish. It’s the best way to get a skin-on fish filet cooked to perfection, with crispy skin but yet still very moist on the inside.
—Jonathan Michaud
Ingredients
-
500 grams
walleye (or bass) fillets, skin on, boneless and scaled
-
2 tablespoons
butter
-
2
garlic cloves, very finely chopped
-
1
onion, cut into brunoise
-
1
carrot, cut into brunoise
-
1/4
big fennel bulb, cut into brunoise
-
1/2
red pepper, cut into brunoise
-
1/2
yellow pepper, cut into brunoise
-
1/2
green pepper, cut into brunoise
-
1/2
jalapeno pepper, cut into brunoise
-
olive oil
-
1/2
white or sherry wine
-
2 tablespoons
sherry vinegar
-
1 tablespoon
honey or maple syrup
-
1/2 teaspoon
Spanish smoked paprika
-
salt and pepper, to taste
-
freshly chopped parsley, as a garnish
Directions
- Cut all the vegetables into brunoise which means very small dice. In a skillet, heat the oil and sweat the vegetables over medium-high heat. Deglaze with white wine and reduce until almost dry. Add the vinegar, honey and smoked paprika. Leave to stew gently over medium heat for 25 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
- For the fish: Dry the fish fillets well using paper towels. Salt the skin of the fillets. Place the fish skin side down in a cold, lightly oiled non-stick pan. Start the fire at full power and let the heat work its way up without touching the filets. When the fish is half cooked, add the butter and baste the fish with a spoon. Once the heat has reached 3/4 of the fish, turn off the heat or remove the pan from the heat. Turn the fillets over and let the residual heat finish cooking walleye.
- Serve the sofrito in deep plates. Place the fish fillet skin side up on top. Finish with a little chopped parsley, a pinch of fleur de sel and a dash of olive oil. Accompany it all with a good crusty toasted bread if desired.
See what other Food52ers are saying.