Cod Grenobloise

Raymond Blanc is not a French chef I’m familiar with, although if you read his bio, you quickly learn that he is “one of the finest chefs in the world.” Amazingly, Blanc is completely self-taught. His influence on gastronomy has been so great that he is the only chef to have been honoured with both an OBE from Britain and the equivalent of a knighthood from France.

Blanc fell in love with gastronomy at a fairly young age and began his culinary career as a waiter. He later moved to Great Britain in the 70’s and worked at a pub. When the owner fell ill, Blanc took over the kitchen!! After marrying, he and his wife purchased a restaurant together in Oxford, and named it Les Quat’Saisons. In 1979 it won the first of two coveted Michelin stars. He says he owes it all to his Maman.

Later, the couple, with much help from friends, purchased and renovated a manor house and named it Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons – the house of the four seasons. Le Manoir was the quintessential English country house with a very French heart. It became “one of the ultimate gastronomic destinations in the country, creating a world-class reputation for culinary excellence.”

Turns out the chef has written about a thousand cookbooks. Below is about the manor, and below right is his latest.

I discovered his cod Grenobloise recipe on the Country Town and House website, which I’ve never come across before. I had the cod, although I only used 2 filets, but without skin. But there was no way I could locate the specific potatoes. So I kind of did my own thing.

This recipe is, not surprisingly, fabulous. I used half the fish, but the whole sauce recipe, and I recommend doing the same.

Cod Grenobloise
printable recipe below

4 cod fillets, about 6 ounces each, skin on
1 1/2 ounces unsalted butter
Sea salt and finely, freshly ground white pepper

For the potato purée
35 ounces Agata, Belle de Fontenay or Estima potatoes, peeled
6 – 7 ounces whole milk, hot
2 1/2 ounces unsalted butter, melted

For the sauce
1 7/10 ounces water or brown chicken stock
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons capers, washed and drained
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
Handful of flat-leaf parsley, shredded

Small handful of croutons, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Halve potatoes, place in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 25 mins. Drain in a colander and leave to steam for 2–3 mins. Pass through a fine mouli back into the pan. Gradually mix in the hot milk, then stir in the melted butter and two pinches each of salt and pepper. Season to taste. If the purée is too firm, add more milk. It should be fluffy and form firm peaks. Keep warm in a bain-marie.

Pat the cod fillets dry, score the skin and season the flesh side with four pinches of salt and two pinches of pepper.

Melt the butter in a large ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and bring to the foaming stage. Add the fillets skin side down and cook for 5–6 mins. Turn and cook for one minute. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for a further four minutes. Transfer to a warmed plate. (I cooked them fully on the stove.)

Return the pan back to a high heat and add the water or chicken stock. Add the lemon juice, capers, shallot and shredded parsley and bring back to a simmer. Season to taste.

Spoon some potato purée onto each plate and rest a hake fillet on top. Spoon the sauce over and around the fish and scatter over the croutons. (I get the croutons for a textural addition, but I omitted them.)

As I mentioned, this recipe is complete perfection.

The sauce is just as complimentary to the potatoes as it is to the fish.