Recipe: Chef Paul Bocuse’s Crusty Halibut Viennoise

In honor of the great French master chef Paul Bocuse who passed away over the weekend, Fleet Corporate Executive Chef Franck Garanger is sharing a classic recipe of his, a crusty Halibut Viennoise. Referred to as the pope of French cooking, Mr. Paul Bocuse has always been very close to Oceania Cruises, often sending his chefs on board our ships as guest chefs. On behalf of Chef Garanger, Senior Culinary Directors Eric Barale and Bernhard Klotz and the entire culinary team, this recipe will be served in The Grand Dining Room as a special homage to our beloved friend, mentor and master chef, Mr. Paul Bocuse, who will be dearly missed.

Serves 10

Ingredients:

Viennoise Crust
600 grams fresh white bread, toasted 600 grams butter 300 grams gruyere cheese, crumbled 4 cloves garlic, finely minced 1 tablespoon thyme, finely chopped Freshly ground pepper

Tomato Concassée:
50 grams olive oil 50 grams shallots, finely chopped 1 teaspoon garlic, minced 250 grams canned plum tomatoes, seeded, drained and chopped 1 tablespoon herbs, finely chopped (basil, thyme, marjoram) Salt and freshly ground pepper

Mushroom Duxelle:
50 grams butter 100 grams onions, finely chopped 200 grams whole Paris mushrooms cleaned 5 centiliters white wine Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Chopped parsley

Halibut
10 halibut fillets, each weighing about 160 grams Salt and freshly ground pepper 50 grams butter 50 grams chopped shallots 1 deciliter white wine Fresh thyme sprig for garnish Champagne Sauce:
100 grams shallots, finely chopped 1 bay leaf ½ tablespoon coriander seeds ½ sprig thyme 5 deciliters fish stock 5 deciliters double cream 2 dl Champagne 50 grams fresh butter

Preparation

For Viennoise Crust
Precisely weigh all ingredients. Take fresh white toasted bread and remove the crust. Place the bread and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and finely chop until the paste is consistent in texture, about 1 minute.

For Tomato Concassée
Sweat the chopped shallots and garlic in olive oil. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper and the herbs. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Season to taste and set aside.

For Mushroom Duxelle:
Sweat the onion in butter until translucent. Add the mushrooms, white wine, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the chopped parsley and let cool. In a food processor, blend finely.

For the Halibut Season the fish fillet with salt and pepper, then place a thin layer of Tomato Concassée on top of each fillet, followed by a thin layer of Mushroom Duxelle. Cover with a very thin layer of the Viennoise mixture.

Place the fish on a buttered baking sheet, spread with chopped shallots, and white wine underneath.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 8 to 10 minutes. Then broil lightly, just until the crust is a nice golden brown.

For Champagne Sauce
Sweat shallots over low heat, then add herbs followed by the fish stock. Reduce to half the amount. Add the cream and cook slowly reducing by half again. Strain through a fine sieve into a pot, add the Champagne à la minute, and blend with fresh butter to thicken.

To serve, pour the sauce on a plate, place the fish on top and garnish with a thyme sprig. Serve with seasonal vegetables and boiled Parisian potatoes.