by Richard Blondin (from Refectory Cooking Class, 2007)
Serves four
for the walleye mousse
8 oz. Lake Walleye, diced
2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
chives
salt and pepper
1. Place the walleye in a food processor or robot coup. Season with salt and pepper. Run the food processor on high for one minute, scrape down the bowl.
2. With the machine running, add the eggs, one at a time, allowing for them to be incorporated. Scrape down the bowl again.
3. Again with the motor running, slowly add heavy cream. When the cream is absorbed, place the mousse in a large stainless steel bowl.
preparing the Coulibiac
4 oz. each, salmon, shrimp, halibut, walleye
1- 8 oz. sheet puff pastry
1. Dice fish into large pieces, add into the mousse,
add chives.
2. Roll puff pastry to 8” x 12.” (Chef Blondin recommends using older pieces of puff pastry that have been pushed together, to prevent "puffing" from happening during the baking process. Older pieces of puff pastry will shrink into the crevices of the seafood, creating a tight mold.)
3. Place parchment with the 12” side facing you on baking sheet.
4. Form a log of mousse along the front half of the 12” side.
5. Using a pastry brush, paint a thin coat of water on the pastry.
6. Fold the pastry over the mousse.
7. Coat with egg wash. (Chef Blondin's egg wash was created using just the yolks of the eggs mixed with a little cream, to create a darker color on the puff pastry.)
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. (During class, Chef Blondin suggested baking at a higher temperature, such as 425 for a shorter amount of time, to prevent overcooking the seafood.)