Fillets (Or Steaks) of Walleye Mornay
Submitted by wildcat2tame
Poached walleye baked under a classic Mornay sauce of egg yolks, cream, and cheese. A French-inspired lake-fish supper with a golden bubbled top straight from the oven.
YIELD
5 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
35 minREADY
50 minMornay is bechamel’s cheesier cousin, and it does wonderful things to freshwater fish. The walleye gets gently poached first in lemon-cayenne water, which seasons the flesh and creates a fish broth that becomes the base of the sauce. Nothing is wasted.
The sauce itself is classic Escoffier technique. A blond roux meets the reserved broth and cream, then gets enriched with tempered egg yolks and finished with grated cheese. Poured over the poached fillets in a buttered dish and run briefly in a 375°F (190°C) oven, it browns into a glossy, golden crust without drying the fish underneath.
Chef Tips
- Temper the egg yolks by spooning a bit of warm sauce in first. Adding eggs straight to hot liquid scrambles them.
- Remove the sauce from the heat before adding cheese. Boiling cheese sauce breaks into grainy curds.
- Keep the second bake short. Walleye is delicate; longer than 10 minutes will overcook it.
- Save the rest of the fish broth for a chowder or risotto. It freezes well in ice cube trays.
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
Place fillets or steaks in a saucepan, just cover with cold water, add salt, lemon juice, and cayenne, bring to a bubble, then turn down heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove fish, but retain the fish broth.
Place fish in buttered baking dish .
Stir together 1 cup fish broth and the cream.
Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter and add minced onion, tarragon or marjoram.
Cook just until onions are soft.
Stir in flour and cook a minute or two.
Then off hat, stir in 2 cups of the fish broth until smooth.
Return to low heat, stirring until sauce begins to thicken.
Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the sauce into the beaten eggs, then stir the beaten eggs slowly into sauce.
Add the cheese, stirring all the while and cook until uniform.
Pour the sauce over the fish, dot with remaining butter, and bake in preheated oven at 375℉ (190℃) for about 10-minutes to brown the sauce.
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