Matelote of Fish and Shellfish

Ingredients

• 8 jumbo shrimp, about 1/2 pound
• ½ lb skinless, boneless salmon fillets
• ½ pint bay or sea scallops
• ½ lb fresh mushrooms
• 4 tbsp butter
• ½ cup finely chopped onions
• ¼ cup finely chopped shallots
• ¼ cup finely diced carrots
• ¼ cup finely diced celery
• ¼ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp peppercorns
• ¼ tsp finely minced garlic
• 3 sprigs fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1½ cup dry red wine
• 1 cup fish broth or bottled clam juice
• salt to taste if desired
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp Cognac
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 bay leaf

Method

1. Peel and devein the shrimp but reserve the shells. Cut the salmon into 1-inch cubes. Set aside. If sea scallops are used, cut them into quarters. Set aside. If the mushrooms are small, leave them whole. If they are large, cut them into quarters. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan and add the onions, shallots, carrots, celery, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaf, garlic and parsley sprigs. Cook, stirring, until the onions are wilted. Add the shrimp shells and stir. Add the flour and stir. Add the wine, stirring with a wire whisk. Add the fish broth or clam juice and bring to a boil. Let simmer 20 minutes or until reduced to about 2 cups when strained. Strain the sauce, discarding the solids.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a casserole and add the mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the Cognac and the strained sauce and bring to a boil. Let simmer about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp, scallops and salmon. Cook, stirring gently, so that the fish and seafood are coated with the sauce. Let simmer about 3 minutes. Do not overcook. Swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Notes

Yield: 4 servings. Calories: about 396 per serving. By Pierre Franey — a fish dish braised in red wine ("Fish love red wine").

Original card

The recipe above was transcribed from this scan of Vera’s original card.

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