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Fish Fillets poached with wine and mushrooms in a creamy sauce (a la Julia Childs) - a classic combination, served in a creamy veloute sauce with herbs, made from the fragrant poaching juices.
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The mushrooms. for 5 people trim, wash and slice 1/2 pound (3 cups) of fresh mushrooms. Cook them clowly for 3 to 4 minutes in a covered stainless pan with 2 Tablespoons of butter, 1/2 Tablespoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons minced shallots or scallions, just until the mushrooms are limp but not browned. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside
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(add the cooking juices to the poaching liquid described below).
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Preparations for poaching. Score 10 fish fillets about 9 X 2 inches and 1/4 inch thick. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and arrange half of them closely together in a buttered flameproof baking and serving dish.
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Divide the cooked mushrooms over each fillet; cover with the remaining fillets, as shown.
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Poaching. Preheat the oven to 350F. Pour 3/4 cup of white wine or vermouth, 3/4 cup of fish or chicken stock and the mushroom juices around the fish; add a little more wine or stock if needed so liquid almost covers the fish. Lay a piece of buttered wax paper, cut to fit, on top of the fish. Bring just to the simmer on top of the stove; set in lower middle of the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until fish is opaque and springy rather than squashy; do not overcook. Drain out the poaching liquid into a stainless saucepan. Cover the fish and keep warm while making the sauce.
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White wine sauce with herbs (Sauce Chivry). Rapidly boil down poaching liquid until reduced to 1 cup. Meanwhile in another saucepan melt 2 Tablespoons of butter, stir in 2-1/2 tablespoons of flour and cook slowly stirring until butter and flour foam and froth together for 2 minutes without coloring more than a buttery yellow. Remove from heat; when bubbling has stopped, pour in all the hot poaching liquid at once, vigorously blending with a wire whip. Beat in 1/2 cu
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Thin out sauce as necessary with dollops of cream - sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. Taste carefully, adding more salt, pepper and drops of lemon juice. Stir in 2 Tablespoons of minced fresh herbs such as a mixture of parsley, chives and tarragon.
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Serving. Drain the fish again, spoon the sauce over it and decorate with fluted mushrooms. Serve with steamed rice or French bread.
