Red Mullet Sauce Ravioli

Bass fish is sautéed in shallots and simmered in white wine and stuffed in freshly made ravioli. Red mullet sauce is spread over the dish to give it a rich and savory flavor. This simple gourmet pasta recipe makes a refreshing appetizer or a light and nutritious meal. Bass and red mullet fish make an ideal combination for a memorable meal. You can also use readymade ravioli pasta, which can be bought in Italian markets or specialty gourmet stores. Make sure to buy the ravioli dough without the stuffing. To make fresh homemade ravioli, it is best if you have a pasta machine so that the dough can be spread very thinly without too much difficulty.

If you don’t have a pasta maker, you can still use a rolling pin to spread the dough. This will take more time and effort to make however, as the pasta need to be very thin before it is cut into disc for stuffing. Thick ravioli dough will be unpleasant and you won’t get to enjoy the delicate flavor of the bass stuffing. If you are using fresh ravioli dough or pasta in the grocery, this will take more time to cook than homemade pasta. You can always check out free video recipes just click on the link.

For better texture and flavor, use semolina flour instead of regular flour. If you can’t find this special flour that is specifically used for making pasta, you can try unbleached all-purpose flour although you will get a more doughy result. Use a wooden table or board for mixing and kneading the flour and eggs. Make a mound out of the floor and place the eggs in the middle. Use fork to gently beat the eggs and then gently fold in the ingredients together. Start with the inner rim and work your way outwards to incorporate the wet and the dry ingredients. Use your hands and your palms to knead the dough until smooth. This recipe is made possible by Gourmandia.ca.

Ingredients
For the dough (pate):
2/3 lb. flour
3 eggs

For the stuffing:
½ shallot
2/3 lb. bass meat
3.5 oz. dry white wine
3.5 oz. cream cheese
0.2 oz. fennel

For the sauce:
1 garlic clove
2/3 lb. fresh red mullet fillets
0.7 oz. olive oil
red mullet fumet (stock)

1. In a saucepan, heat olive oil and sauté the shallots in a saucepan. Sauté the bass pieces until it turns brown on both sides, flipping once. Sprinkle with white wine and boil down until the liquid evaporates. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chopped fennel and allow to cool. Add cream cheese and stir gently.

2. Mix the flour and eggs to make the ravioli and knead until smooth. Spread the dough very thinly with the aid of a pasta machine. Cut the dough into discs of 2 inches each.

3. Place the bass stuffing in the middle of the ravioli and seal. Cook in boiling salt water for about 5 minutes.

4. To make the sauce, boil down the garlic with white wine and some red mullet fumet. Add red mullet cut in small pieces and cook until the sauce is reduced.

5. Place bass ravioli in a dish and pour red mullet sauce over it.

A Different Kind of Sushi

Different kinds of fish have different ways of cooking and some fish are fully appreciated if presented in its best way like this red mullet from the Mediterranean. This kind of fish has an earthy flavor and dense flesh that is remarkably delicious. If you are able to access it as fresh from the seas as possible, the best way to truly appreciate its natural flavors is to eat it sushi-style like how the Japanese do. The term “sushi” actually refers to seasoned cooked rice although most people associate sushi with raw fish. Sushi can be served with all kinds of toppings and fillings and the most common of which is fish and seafood.

Chef Michel Trama of the French restaurant L’Aubergade, used red mullet fillets in his sushi style recipe. He lightly seared the red mullet fillets in oil to get a slightly crispy outer skin with a bit of raw pink flesh on the inside. He dressed it with a sweet pepper and ginger sauce and served it with a sushi ball topped with dried tomato and olive paste. He likewise used a complex array of sauces including parsley oil and olive oil emulsion. His dish is definitely far from authentic Japanese sushi. It is more of a fusion of European cooking techniques and Asian flavors, a harmony of East and West.

Instead of the usual soy sauce and wasabi, two necessary seasoning and sauce for enjoying sushi in Japan and elsewhere of the sushi-loving world, Chef Trama experimented on a mélange of spices, classic European purees, and innovative seasonings to create a unique dish inspired by Japanese cuisine using fresh local ingredients. You can always check out video recipes online at Gourmandia.ca.

In making sushi, the kind of rice to be used must be properly selected. If the rice used is right, then you can create decent sushi rice, which serves as the base flavor. The cooked rice has to be slightly sweet and tangy. It is then flavored with sugar and vinegar and just the right amount of salt. Nigiri and Maki are the two main types of sushi. Nigiri consists of vinegared rice formed into balls or oval-shapes and topped with raw or cooked ingredients, this is what is done in this recipe. Maki includes seasoned rice combined with other ingredients and wrapped in seaweed called nori and sliced into round pieces. Serve this special dish with a glass of Côtes de Duras Vieilles Vignes.

Ingredients

4 red mullets (a minimum 0.44 lbs. each)
salt, pepper
olive oil
chives
For the sushi:
7.04 oz. round rice
7.04 oz. water
1 oz. (1/8 cup) rice vinegar
5 ¼ teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
0.7 oz. preserved tomatoes (chopped)
0.7 oz black olives (chopped)
For the pure sauce:
1.4 oz. (about 8 ½ teaspoons) shallots
0.53 oz. (about 3 teaspoons) garlic
1 oz. (about 2 tablespoons) red pepper
1 oz. (about 2 tablespoons) yellow pepper
0.53 oz. (about 1 tablespoon) fresh ginger
For the black olive emulsion:
1.4 oz. pitted black olives
0.07 oz. (about 2/5 teaspoon) garlic
0.18 oz. (about 1 teaspoon) olive oil
0.07 oz. (about 2/5 teaspoon) curry
¼ cup warm water
¼ teaspoon salt
0.12 oz. anchovy
For the parsley oil:
0.7 oz. (about 4 teaspoons) parsley
1 teaspoon white garlic
1 teaspoon pine nuts
3 2/5 tablespoons olive oil

1. Prepare the sushi rice. Select a good variety of rice to use. Cook rice and place in a mixing bowl. Stir with a fork to cool it down. Dissolve by heating some vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. Season the rice with the sweetened vinegar. Mix the rice well and set aside and allow to cool. In the meantime make the olive paste. Chop the ingredients finely with a knife and mix together. Place a bit of dried tomato and the olive paste in a plastic film. Scoop some rice with a spoon and place on top of the paste. Shape the rice and paste into a ball by enclosing the plastic film.

2. Make the sauce for the fish. First mince the shallot and blanched garlic then sauté in olive oil. Minced yellow and red peppers and chop the ginger. Mix them all together then cook until soft and mushy. Season with salt and Tabasco sauce.

3. Make emulsion of black olives by mixing in the blender minced pitted black olives and anchovies and adding a dash of curry. Add oil to get a thick emulsion.

4. Make the parsley oil. Puree flat-leaf parsley in the blender with olive oil to make the parsley oil.

5. Slightly cook the mullet filets quickly in a non-stick frying pan with a little olive oil. Do not overcook. Season with salt while cooking.

6. Assemble the dish. On the dish place a dash of parsley oil. Fill Asian soup spoon with the black olive emulsion and place in the center of the plate. Sear the fish fillets then place them on one side and dress with the dried tomatoes and olive paste. On the other side of the plate place the sushi ball and decorate with leaves.