Wels Catfish Fillet with Krautfleckerln (cabbage and noodles) and red wine mustard sauce
Christian Petz. Flavors of Austria. Total time: less than 15 minutes. Preparation and cooking time: Under an hour. Difficulty: Easy. Chef's Note: Cabbage, noodles... This dish is simple, you'll say, almost rustic - but the sauce flavored with purple mustard and red wine adds a dimension of taste that elevates this recipe to a new level of refinement. I suggest a few sautéed bacon pieces for garnish.
Ingredients
| 4 | fillets of Wels Catfish, 140 g / 5 oz. each, skin on | |
| — | Salt and pepper | |
| — | Lemon juice | |
| — | Flour, olive oil, butter | |
| 1 | clove of garlic | |
| — | Thyme | |
| 2 | French shallots | |
| 60 ml | red wine | |
| 60 ml | Port | |
| 300 ml | chicken stock (for sauce) | |
| 1 tbsp | 15 ml | crème fraîche |
| 1 tbsp | 15 ml | purple mustard |
| — | Butter (for sauce) | |
| 100 g | Spitzkraut - a slender variety of green Cabbage from the white cabbage family | |
| 1 | French shallot (for cabbage and noodles) | |
| 30 g | Speck | |
| — | Salt, butter | |
| 1 tbsp | 15 ml | sugar |
| 60 ml | chicken stock (for cabbage and noodles) | |
| 1 | bay leaf | |
| 1 tbsp | 15 ml | parsley |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | cornstarch |
| — | Pepper, minced garlic, ground cumin | |
| — | A drizzle of vinegar | |
| 200 g | ravioli dough or other fresh pasta (purchased) |
Instructions
Preparing the sauce:
- Peel and mince the shallots; sweat them in a little butter until translucent.
- Deglaze the skillet with the wine and Port; reduce until the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the chicken stock and reduce by half.
- Blend in the crème fraîche and mustard; strain, season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Preparing the "casserole" (cabbage and noodles):
- Wash the cabbage and cut into small cubes; cook in boiling water with a little salt until very tender and no longer crunchy.
- Drain; refresh in ice water to fix the color; drain again.
- Mince the shallots; cut the speck into small cubes; brown a spoonful of sugar in a dry skillet; add the shallots and speck and cook over low heat.
- When the shallots are translucent, add the chicken broth; add the bay leaf and simmer for a few minutes.
- In a small bowl, dissolve 1 tsp. cornstarch in a little water; blend into the sauce to thicken it lightly. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, minced garlic and a dash of vinegar.
- Roll out the pasta; cut into small squares; cook in boiling salted water for about 2 minutes.
- Toss the cabbage quickly in butter to coat; add the chicken stock, then the noodles and parsley.
Preparing the fish:
- Be sure to remove all bones from the fillet; lightly score the skin in a crisscross pattern; season the flesh side with salt, pepper and lemon juice; dip in flour.
- Heat a little oil in a skillet; cook the fish on one side only (skin side down) for about 1 minute or until the floured skin browns.
- Add 1 tbsp. butter, the minced garlic and thyme; turn the fillets; drizzle with melted butter and cook for 1 minute. Place the fillets on parchment paper to dry.
Presentation:
- Place the cabbage and noodle mixture onto serving plates.
- Place a fillet of fish on top.
- Reheat the sauce, whisking it to make it foamy. Pour over the noodles. I suggest a few sautéed bacon pieces for garnish.