Scallop and Poached Cod Mille Feuille with Champagne Sauce

6 Medium

Prep 20 min Cook 70 min

Make an impression at your next dinner party with this spectacular Scallop and Poached Cod Mille Feuille with the delicate Champagne Sauce, garnished with dill.

Poached Cod Puree Ingredients

1 tsp. olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp. white wine
150 g fillet of cod, boned and diced into 2cm chunks
½ cup thickened cream
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground black pepper

Champagne Sauce Ingredients

½ cup champagne
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2 sprigs of thyme
4 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
100 g butter
1 egg

Mille Feuille Pastry Squares Ingredients

375g box Careme all butter puff pastry

Scallop Topping Ingredients

12 scallops
¼ cup dill leaves
1 cup water cress leaves
¼ cup fennel leaves
¼ cup flat leaf parsley leaves
2 tsps. olive oil
Salt and pepper

Poached Cod Recipe Steps

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over low heat and fry the onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the white wine and the cod and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the cream and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Remove the pot from the heat and leave to cool.

Puree the cod mixture in a food processor, forming a smooth paste. (The paste will keep for up to 7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.)

Champagne Sauce Recipe Steps

Place the champagne, vinegar, thyme, peppercorns and bay leaf into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes until reduced by ¾.

Discard the herbs and set the vinegar aside to cool. Melt the butter over a low temperature; place the egg into the bowl of a food processor or blender. With the motor running, slowly start to pour in the clarified butter leaving the white milk solids behind. Keep whizzing until the sauce starts to thicken. When all the butter has finished add in 1 tablespoon of the champagne and vinegar reduction and blend again. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to your liking. Set the sauce aside.

Pastry Squares Recipe Steps

Pre heat oven to 200c fan forced or 220c.

Unroll the pastry and cut into 6 x 8cm squares. Place the squares onto a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray and score the pastry by running a knife 1cm inside each of the squares to make a smaller square but not cutting all the way through the pastry. Spoon 1-½ tablespoons of the cod mixture into the square. Place the tray into the oven and cook for 10 minutes, drop the temperature to 180c and cook until golden and risen about 15 – 20 minutes.

Scallop Topping Recipe Steps

Place a fry pan over a moderate to high heat, dry off the scallops and drizzle with a little oil. Season with salt and pepper and place into the pan. Depending on the size of the scallops cook on either side for about 30 seconds or until golden but still a little opaque in the centre. Remove from the heat when both sides are golden and set aside.

To assemble the dish, place a square of cooked puff pastry onto a plate, top with the combined herbs dressed with a little olive oil and then the scallops, pour over the sauce and serve hot.