Choux farci au Saumon / Salmon Stuffed Cabbage - From the Movie Haute Cuisine

By JimMac

This is a translation of a French recipe, which explains some of the irregular grammar. I believe bacon fat might substitute for the goose or duck fat in the recipe.

Ingredients

• For 6 to 8 people:
• 1 kg of salmon fillet
• 1 kg of salmon heads, over the edges
• 1 kale (cabbage type of Milan, Napa head cabbage)
• 1 kg of carrots
• 250 g of yellow onions
• 250 g of fresh pork belly
• 2 tbsp. tablespoons goose fat, or duck
• 1 bouquet garni
• Sea salt and pepper mixture of grains
• 1 square of cheesecloth about 1 m square

Details

Adapted from foodnetwork.com

Preparation

Step 1

1) Salmon fish heads and bones placed in a large bowl, leaving a net sink of cold water for ten minutes to clean and eliminate all traces of impurities. Drain and place in a heavy pot with four quarts of cold water.

2) Add the bouquet garni and bring slowly to a boil, skimming. Simmer 15 minutes, pass through a sieve to obtain a clear juice.

3) Salmon fillet slices about 1 cm thick, arrange flat on a plate, lightly salt and pepper, and refrigerate.

4) Cut the pork belly /bacon into thin slices, blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes, with a brief cool under cold water.

5) In a large pot, boil water and blanch the whole cabbage for 3 minutes, drain, cool 10 seconds under cold water, and repeat the procedure again. ( blanched cabbage, whole, in order to protect the delicate inner leaves, and blanched twice to make it more digestible).

6) Drain and on a thick towel, open the cabbage sheet, gently. Keep only the very tender leaves and save the heart for a future soup.

7) In a deep cast-iron pot, sauté the onions with a tablespoon of goose fat. Add carrots, peeled, without heart, detailed sliced, lightly browned, add salt and cover. Cook for 30 minutes over very low heat. Keep warm.

8) Meanwhile, line a strainer with foot square of cheesecloth, taking care of leaves dangling on the sides so that they can then collect leaf edges to form a bundle. Line starting with two layers of large cabbage leaves, taking care of them largely overlap (after poaching, cabbage will remain ball shaped), then a layer of sliced salmon and cabbage and salmon again. Use everything, ending with a double layer of cabbage. Close the cheesecloth, tighten shaped like a balloon and tie securely with kitchen twine.

9) Bring the fish stock to boil, then gently dip the stuffed cabbage, and simmer for 15 minutes, then turn and add 5 minutes of cooking. A large skimmer is helpful at this stage.

10) Drain cabbage, carefully unwrap on a bowl (it should stay in shape), slice into the pan back on the bed of carrots . Pepper optional at the very end of cooking, with fresh ground pepper.

11. A simple Champagne sauce was used in the film.
12. The young carrots are cooked in goose fat with onions.

There are red or white wines from the Périgord region, but they may not be available in North America. Lucky you if they are.

A good Champagne would certainly work here.