Gratin de Quenelles de Poisson

Our "Gourmet Saturday Night" dinner this past weekend was trés spectacular! Dan channeled Julia Child and got out her Mastering the Art of French Cooking book—volume one, in case you were wondering. He had made these seafood quenelles gratinéed in white wine sauce once before using just halibut, but this time he mixed the halibut with some shrimp. To sum the recipe up quickly (ahem), he made a pâte à choux, mixed it with the diced seafood, formed quenelles of that using two spoons, poached them in simmering water, made a béchamel sauce with white wine and fish stock, arranged the quenelles and sauce in a gratin dish, added grated Gruyère cheese and broiled until slightly browned. Et voilà, ethereal pillows of seafood. You must to try this recipe—just take it step by step and go for it.

I made an endive (ahhn-deeeve) salad similar to the Barefoot Contessa endive salad (which was delicious), although in all the excitement of the quenelles (and possibly the Lillet buzz) I completely forgot to add the pears! I used my own homemade French vinaigrette that always have in a jelly jar in the fridge, which I make using diced shallots, champagne vinegar, grape seed oil, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. No egg yolk, ala Ina's recipe. It was all trés fab, n'est pas? 

We had a light refreshing raspberry sorbet planned for dessert but were both too full to actually eat it. It was store bought, though on that note our raspberries are starting to ripen so I will be making my own raspberry granita very soon!

Here's the menu:

Lillet Apéritif 

with twist of orange and splash of sparkling soda 

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Endive, Roquefort cheese, and toasted walnut salad 

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2008 Louis Jadot Pouilly Fuissé 

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Gratin de Quenelles de Poisson 

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Raspberry Sorbet 

du Monsieur Häagen-Dazs