Flounder with Asparagus, Spinach & Hollandaise Sauce

                                                       Portion 6

Ingredients:

2 Flounder Filleted, bones chopped

2 Sweet Yellow Onions

4 Cloves Garlic

1 Fennel

2 Carrots

1 Branch Celery

4 Sprigs Thyme

1 bottle White Wine

1 Bay Leaf

1 bunch chives

5 Egg Yolks

1.5 Cups Clarified Butter

2 Lemons juiced

2 bunches Asparagus

2 bunches Spinach

Butter

Olive Oil

Salt / Pepper

1 Small Pinch Fleur de Sel (sea salt)

Procedure:

• Peel and chop the onions in 4. Peel and smash the garlic. Slice the fennel. Peel and rough chop the carrots. 
• Chop the celery with leaves and all. Wash the Spinach and let dry. Chop the chives very small and reserve on the side.
• Peel the asparagus and bend them. They will naturally break in the spot that will leave a good tip, and throw away the fibrous bottom.
• In a large pot, sweat the onions, half of the garlic, fennel, carrots and celery in olive oil for 10 mins on high heat.
• Add the fish bones and the bottle of wine minus 1/3 cup of wine for the hollandaise. When the liquid comes to the boil, reduce heat to a simmer and add the herbs (minus the chives), a pinch of salt and some black pepper.
• Cook for 30 mins. Strain and reduce the liquid until there is only about 1 to 3⁄4 of a cup left.
• Then chop 5 tablespoons of cold butter and whisk this into the reduced liquid until smooth. Reserve on the side, but keep warm.
• In a large pot, bring to boil 3 quarts of water and 1 cup of salt and blanch the asparagus until they are still slightly crunchy in the center. They should be a bit under done, cause they will be re- heated later on.
• When slightly cooked, remove and plunge into an ice bath to “Shock” them. Then strain and dry them.
• In a wide flat sauté pan, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil. Season and dust the fish with salt, pepper and a bit of flour. Cook until golden brown on one side for about 4-5 mins. Then flip and cook for 1 min and remove. 
• At the same time, in a double broiler, whisk the egg yolks and the wine until thick. When thick, off the heat, add slowly the clarified butter (Note: The butter should be warm, not hot, not cold) If the mixture gets too thick, you can add a bit of the lemon juice at this stage to stabilize.
• When all butter is in, season with 2 big pinches of salt, fresh black pepper, lemon juice to taste.
• In another pot, heat 3 tablespoons fresh butter and heat until golden brown and “noisette.” Add the rest of the Garlic, then the spinach, 2 pinches of salt and wilt for 1 min. 
• Roast the dry asparagus in olive oil until warm. 
• On the plate, spoon some warm fish stock butter sauce (Fish Fumet Beurre Blanc) on the plate, Then a few of the asparagus. Then a small pinch of the spinach. Then the fish filet. Then top with the Hollandaise.
  
   

 Made in the Market class with chef Alex Dreyer and his students.