An elegant French collee platter! Chilled collee coated filet of sole on gelatin and aspic served with roasted radicchio, tomato yellow, purple potato, onion and dill weed vinaegrette
Collee is a French gelatin preparation that is similar to chaud froid. The difference is that collee is made with mayonnaise or a mayonnaise cream mixture. Chaud froid is made with a bechamel sauce. Collee is usually used to coat chilled poached or chilled lightly smoked fish. Whole flatfish are often coated with collee for banquet style offerings. Aspic and gelatin shreds are often used as a garnish or as a bed for collee preparations of fish. Thin gelatin and aspic shreds add a nice jeweled look to a plate. Roasted vegetables served at room temperature with vinaegrette have been popular since the 1980's. Elegant colorful roasted vegetables are very nice for garnishing garde manger station platters. Purple potato, yellow tomato, radicchio and onion with diced roasted red bell pepper adds royal contrasting colors to this platter. The mild accompanying vinaegrette features the fresh garden flavor of dill weed. The dill vinaegrette also is nice with the sole collee. Anytime that more than one item is featured on a platter, the flavors have to contrast and compliment each other. The items also have to be arranged with a clear focal point. For this platter the focal point is the bright white filet of sole collee. Flow is also important and the curve of the overlapping roasted vegetables demonstrate flow. Balance is part of banquet platter design and unity is another requirement. This platter has a balanced appearance as far as the size and shapes are concerned. Unity describes how the flavors work with each other. Unity also describes how the colors of the items contrast with each other physically and symbolically. For a classy looking item like sole en collee, the royal colors of the gelatin, aspic and roasted vegetables demonstrate symbolic unity. As chefs move up the ladder in fine cuisine, the design of banquet platters becomes more demanding. Although most banquet food is not rated by Michelin standards, the quality of banquet food is part of the resort rating system. I have worked at several five diamond resorts during my career. I can honestly say that the quality of garde mange banquet food at five diamond resorts is often surpassed by the garde manger banquet food at fine country clubs and yacht clubs. Country clubs and yacht clubs are judged by an entirely different rating system. Some of the wealthiest people in the world are members of private clubs, so the garde manger food has to be created with excellence in mind. For a classy banquet, a collee platter is perfect. Small collee platters for guests at a restaurant table are an option that many chefs overlook. Sharing a collee platter with trendy roasted vegetables at a table is a nice way to inspire relaxed casual conversation before an evening of fine dining begins. A collee platter for a table is also a nice elegant lunch item to share. Usually for a collee platter like this, the maitre d' serves the first round of the items on the platter to the guests at the table after suggesting an aperitif wine. The sommelier or maitre d' tends to the formalities of the wine service. Fresh warm bread is offered by the assistant carrying a basket of a variety of bread. Another food runner assistant offers a variety of butters and olive oils. As you can imagine, this makes the guests feel special and this interactive table service is part of the maitre d' code of excellence. Shared platter presentations also facilitate better tipping rates for the maitre d'! Greasing the palm of a good maitre d' does get favor in return!
Poached Filet of Sole: Place a 6 to 8 ounce trimmed filet of sole in a wide braising pot or sauteuse pan. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped onion. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped celery. Add 1 chopped garlic clove. Add 4 Italian parsley sprigs. Add 1 laurel leaf. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Add 1 ounce of dry white wine. Add 5 black peppercorns. Add sea salt. Add just enough water to cover the sole file. Place the pot over medium low heat. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Remove the pot from the heat. Allow the sole filet to cool with the poaching liquid to room temperature. Carefully use a spatula to place the poached sole file on a plate. Brush any of the court bouillon poaching ingredients off of the sole filet. Place the poached sole filet on a wire screen roasting rack. Place the roasting rack on a clean catch pan. Chill the poached sole in a refrigerator, till it reaches minus 41º.
Collee: Collee takes time and patience to apply correctly. The white collee coating is applied in several coats, so the coating looks uniform. After each coat of collee, the sole much be chilled, so the collee gels. The first coat of clear gelatin is applied after the collee looks uniform. The herb applique is also applied on the first coat of gelatin. Then a few more coats of gelatin are necessary to give the finished product a glass like appearance. Do not over heat gelatin, collee or aspic, or the gelling power will be affected. Use a digital probe thermometer. Be sure all work surfaces are clean, so no contamination occurs. Have all the ingredients and utensils organized for each stage of the recipe. A wire screen roasting rack over a pan is necessary for catching the collee or gelatin overflow. The chilled overflow can be scraped off of the catch pan and melted, so it can be reused. Any excess clear gelatin will be used to make both the aspic and gelatin shred garnish. Because mayonnaise contains oil, the gelling power of the collee will be effected. By adding milk, the gelling power will almost return to normal. Collee for coating requires just a little extra gelatin and that amount is figured into this recipe. Place 1/3 cup of mayonnaise in a small sauce pot. Add 1/3 cup of milk. Add 1/3 cup of sour cream. Add 1/2 cup of water. Add 1 pinch of sea salt. Gently stir the ingredients together with a whisk. Rain 8.5 to 9 grams of powdered gelatin on the surface of the liquid. Allow the gelatin to bloom and do not stir. Place the pot over low/very low heat. Gently warm the mixture, till the gelatin melts into the liquid. Stir occasionally with a spoon. The gelatin should dissolve somewhere near 130º to 140º. Try to let the mixture reach 140º so most pathogen threats are eliminated. Do not allow the liquid to boil! Reduce the temperature to 110º to 120º to hold the collee, till it is needed. After any air bubbles disappear, use a 1 ounce ladle to pour one coat of the collee over the chilled poached filet of sole. Pop any air bubbles. Immediately place the sole and catch pan in the refrigerator and chill to minus 41º. Repeat these steps, till the filet of sole is coated with an opaque, even, glassy smooth layer of collee. After the sole chills and the collee gels each time it is chilled, the excess collee in the catch pan can be scraped off and returned to the pot. Add a splash of water to the collee in the pot as necessary, to make up for any evaporation. Keep the finished collee coated filet of sole chilled. Any excess collee can be chilled and reheated for another recipe.
Coating Gelatin: Place 1 1/2 cups of water in a sauce pot. Rain 8 grams of powdered gelatin on the surface of the liquid. Allow the gelatin to bloom. Place the sauce pot over low/very low heat. Heat till the gelatin dissolves into the liquid. Do not allow the liquid to boil. Hold the clear coating gelatin at 110º to 120º. Get a few washed and trimmed small dill sprigs and Italian parsley leaves ready. Transfer the wire screen roasting rack to a new clean catch pan. Use a 1 ounce ladle to pour the first coat of clear coating gelatin over the chilled collee coated filet of sole. Place some decorative dill sprigs and parsley leaves on the wet clear gelatin on the fish, so it looks nice. Pop any bubbles. Gently use a tiny spatula the press the herbs flat against the surface of the collee. Immediately chill the filet of sole to minus 41º. For the next coat, just drizzle enough clear gelatin over the herbs to seal them in place. Pop any bubbles. Chill the sole to minus 41º. Use a 1 ounce ladle to pour a full coat of clear gelatin over the sole. Pop any bubbles. Chill the sole to minus 41º. Repeat this step, till the sole en collee takes on a smooth glassy appearance. Keep the finished decorated and clear coated sole en collee chilled, till it is plated. Clear Gelatin Shreds Garnish: Place the excess clear coat from the catch pan back in the clear gelatin in the pot. Melt the clear coat. Pour 2 ounces of the clear coat gelatin on a clean plate. Chill the clear gelatin till it sets. Score 1/4" wide lines across the firm gelatin. Scrap the gelatin free from the pan to created clear shreds. Keep the clear shreds chilled. Gold Aspic Shreds: There should be a couple ounces of clear gelatin leftover in the pot. Add 2 ounces of clear chicken or fish bouillon. Add 1 pinch of turmeric. Simmer till the liquid reduces by half. Pour 2 ounces of the gold colored aspic on a clean plate. Chill the aspic till it sets. Score 1/4" wide lines across the firm aspic. Scrape the aspic free from the pan to created gold shreds. Keep the gold aspic shreds chilled.
Dill Vinaegrette: Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar in a small mixing bowl. Add sea salt and white pepper. Add 1/2 teaspoon of shallot puree. Add 1/4 teaspoon of garlic paste. Add 1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard. Add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of chopped dill weed. Let the ingredients stand for 5 minutes. Slowly stream 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil into the mixture, while gently stirring with a whisk. Add 3 1/2 tablespoons of oil, while gently stirring to create a partially emulsified vinaegrette. Set the dill vinaegrette aside. Stir before serving. Roasted Vegetables: About 3 to 4 slices of each vegetable is enough for this recipe. Boil 1 large purple potato in water over medium high heat, till it becomes fully cooked, yet still firm and not mushy. Cool the potato under cold running water. Use the back of a paring knife to peel the potato. Cut the potato into 1/4" to 3/8" long bias slices. Place the potato slices on a large roasting pan that is brushed with blended olive oil. Cut 3 or 4 slices of vidalia onion that are 1/4" to 3/8" thick and place them on the pan. Place 3 or 4 slices of trimmed radicchio slices that are the same thickness on the pan. Brush the vegetables with blended olive oil. Season with sea salt and white pepper. Roast the vegetables in a 350º oven, till they just begin to cook. Remove the pan from the oven. Place 3 or 4 vine ripe yellow tomato slices on the pan. Brush the yellow tomato slices with blended olive oil. Season the yellow tomato slices. Return the pan to the oven. Roast the vegetables, till the become al dente and till they just begin to caramelize. Remove the pan fro the oven. Keep the roasted vegetables warm on a stove top. Filet de sole dans Collee aux aspic fumé avec rôti radicchio, tomate jaune, pomme de terre violette, l'oignon et herbe d'aneth vinaegrette: Plate the collee last, so it is not damaged by any spatters! Carefully use a spatula to overlap and alternate the warm roasted vegetable slices across the back half of a large decorative classic serving platter. Place a bed of the clear gelatin shreds and the golden aspic shreds on the front center of the platter as a bed for the sole en collee. Sprinkle some diced roasted red pepper over the roasted vegetables and onto the platter near the vegetables. Spoon a generous amount of the dill vinaegrette over the roasted vegetables and onto the platter near the vegetables. Carefully use a carving knife to cut the poached sole filet en collee free from the wire screen rack, by scraping the blade against the surface of the rack under the sole filet. Use a spatula to place the sole en collee on a cutting board. Use a paring knife to trim off any excess collee or gelatin flash. Use a spatula to place the sole en collee on top of the bed of shredded gelatin and shredded golden aspic. No garnish is necessary! Serve with sliced French bread and crostini on the side.
This is not only a nice looking collee and roasted vegetable platter, it tastes very nice too. A tasteful platter like this is nice for starting an evening of fine dining on a special night. Especially on Valentines Day! Bon Appetite! Yum! ... Shawna
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