This dish is a twist of a Lyon classic ( namely pike quenelles in Nantua sauce ) with a touch of seaside : delicate fish, plump shrimps, butter-basted quenelles and a silky Nantua sauce built on crayfish flavour (or shrimp shells, if you adapt it). It’s elegant but unfussy—a perfect showcase for clean seafood flavours lifted by French technique. Pan-seared cherry tomatoes and mushrooms bring colour and depth, turning the plate into something warm, bistro-style and satisfying.
Ingredients
Cod fillets
Shrimps (peeled, keep shells)
Quenelles nature or fish quenelles
Cherry tomatoes
Mushrooms sliced Butter
Olive oil
White wine
Fish stock and Shrimp/crayfish shells
Tomato paste
Flour
Milk
Cream
Nutmeg
Paprika
Salt
Black pepper
Lemon
Method
Make the Nantua sauce: sauté shrimp shells in butter until fragrant.
Add a spoon of tomato paste, paprika, salt and pepper.
Deglaze with white wine, reduce, then add fish stock. Simmer 15 minutes. Strain.
In a clean pan make a light roux with butter and flour. Add milk, whisk smooth, then the reduced shell stock. Stir in cream and a touch of nutmeg. Reduce to a velvety sauce.
Cook the quenelles: pan-fry gently in butter until golden, spooning the foaming butter over the top.
Sear the vegetables: in olive oil sauté mushrooms until browned, then add cherry tomatoes and warm them until they blister. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook the cod: pan-sear in butter/olive oil mix, starting skin-side down if skin is on. Once opaque and flaking, squeeze a little lemon over the top. Add the shrimps in the last minute so they stay juicy.
Finish: nap the plate with hot Nantua sauce, place the cod and shrimps on top, add the buttered quenelles, mushrooms and tomatoes. Spoon a bit more sauce over everything.
Wine pairing
A French white with texture and minerality is perfect:
• A rich yet clean Bourgogne Blanc (Chardonnay, lightly oaked)
• Or a Savoy Roussette (Altesse) for alpine freshness
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