Turbot à la Parisienne is a traditional British recipe, based on Charles Elmé Francatelli's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of turbot stuffed with forcemeat that's baked in butter, mushroom juice and oyster liquor and served with a sauce made from the turbot liquid thickened with an egg liaison and flavoured with prawns, mushrooms, and oysters. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Turbot à la Parisienne.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Turbot à la Parisienne that's derived from the chef, Charles Elmé Francatelli's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
No. 192.—TURBOT A LA PARISIENNE
Remove the backbone from a small turbot, and stuff it with forcemeat of whiting, No. 186; then place it on a sautapan or baking-sheet previously spread with an ounce of butter; moisten with mushroom juice, a couple of glasses of white wine, and some oyster liquor, if handy; season with a little pepper and salt, put an ounce of butter in bits all over the fish, and set it in the oven to bake, basting it frequently with its own liquor; and when done through, remove the turbot on to its dish carefully with a fish-slice, and keep it hot while you prepare the following sauce: viz.,—first, dissolve two ounces of butter in a stewpan over the fire; add two ounces of flour, mix together, moisten with the liquor from the turbot, season with nutmeg, cayenne, lemon-juice, a little anchovy and a glass of sherry; stir over the fire for ten minutes; them mix in a leason of four egg yolks, and a gill of cream, some pickled prawns, button mushrooms, and scalded and bearded oysters, and a piece of lobster-butter, make the sauce hot without boiling; pour it over the turbot, and serve. Note—When you happen to have some good white sauce ready, it will be necessary to only boil down the liquor from the fish, and add it to the sauce with the garnish.
For the Sauce:
60g butter
60g plain flour
250ml liquid from the turbot
150ml sherry
freshly-grated nutmeg and cayenne pepper, to taste
lemon juice, to taste
1 tsp anchovy essence
4 egg yolks
140ml cream
20 pickled prawns
12 button mushrooms
12 scalded and bearded oysters
2 tsp lobster butter
Method:
Clean and scale the fish then remove the backbone and fill the hole in the fish with the forcemeat for whiting. Spread the butter over the base of a baking tin and sit the turbot in this then add the white wine, mushroom juice, oyster liquor (or anchovy essence). Season to taste with salt and black pepper then dot the butter over the fish.
Cover with foil, place in an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 45 minutes, basting frequently with the pan juices, or until the turbot is cooked through and flakes with a fork.
Now prepare the sauce. Melt the butter in a pan and scatter the flour over the top. Stir the flour into the butter to combine then whisk in the sherry, turbot cooking liquid, lemon juice and anchovy essence. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently then take off the heat.
Beat together the egg yolks and cream in a bowl. Add two ladlefuls of the sauce and whisk into the egg mixture to temper. Now add the tempered mix back to the pan and whisk to combine. Add the pickled prawns, button mushrooms, prepared oysters and lobster butter. Return to the hob and allow to heat through (but do not boil).
Carefully lift the turbot onto a plate, pour over the sauce and serve.
