Shrimp and Vegetable Clouds

By all means try other vegetables not listed here, or for a shortcut, choose just two or three from the list. A mild vinegar, such as cider or rice wine, makes a good dipping sauce.

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Fish Chowder (La Chaudrée)

At sea in the old days, fishermen cooked their meals in a chaudière, hence the word chaudrée for fish stew. The term migrated with cod fishermen to the Grand Banks off Nova Scotia, and thence to the New World as chowder. Chaudrée was once as important on the Atlantic coast of France as Bouillabaisse along the Mediterranean. Like Bouillabaisse, Chaudrée is a whole meal and there are many versions. This simple recipe from the port of Fouras, near La Rochelle, contains plenty of onions, butter (a regional specialty) and a variety of fish, always including cod. Today I would expect to find hake, whiting, pollock, and possibly conger eel as well.

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Seared Shrimps with Sea Salt (Gambas Grillés au Sel de Mer)

This recipe suits many sizes of shrimp, from giant gambas and prawns on down, including langoustines (scampi or Dublin Bay prawns). The shrimps must be raw, and in their shells, with or without heads, but don’t use baby shrimps as they will absorb too much salt. Here’s the place to use your special artisan fleur de sel. You’ll find guests jump right in, peeling the shellfish at table as a first course or luxurious main course.

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Sautéed Red Mullet with Tomato Vinaigrette (Rougets Sautés à la Vinaigrette de Tomates)

Red mullet is prized in France, as much for its brisk, almost gamey, taste as for its brilliant skin. It’s a small fish, sometimes tiny, so more than one may be needed per person. Any small whole fish, particularly bream, can be used instead. The regional twist comes with local oils: olive oil in the south, or walnut or hazelnut oil further north. Vinegars range from artisan brews using red or white wine, or perhaps Champagne, to the cider vinegar that has long been a part of fish dishes in Normandy and Brittany. For frying, olive or vegetable oil is best as most nut oils scorch easily. With its pink skin and bright tomato garnish, this is one of the prettiest fish dishes I know! As an accompaniment you cannot do better than a salad of fresh greens or a lightly cooked vegetable such as green beans.

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Fish Stew with Sorrel and Leek (Cotriade Bretonne)

Leek and sorrel add an agreeably acid bite to this Breton stew of white fish, dramatically topped with salty black mussels. Like most northern stews, Cotriade is fortified with potatoes and made with white fish, like cod, haddock, hake, or whiting, plus a bit of rich fish, such as eel or mackerel. Alternatives in the United States are bluefish, red snapper, and flounder. Arugula can take the place of sorrel.

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Salmon Rillettes

I do so enjoy a recipe that breaks away from the rules! The cooking method using salmon is different from using meat – no long cooking involved – but the soft, shredded texture is the same. I like to mix smoked and fresh salmon, cooking them separately, then shredding the meat and stirring in plenty of butter. Inexpensive smoked salmon trimmings are good for this recipe. Accented with a squeeze of lemon juice, the flavor is luxurious. Serve the rillettes with whole wheat toast or crusty bread.

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