Heart Warming Seafood - Seafood Mornay Recipes
There's nothing better on a cold, wet, blustery wintry day than to head to the galley, rattle those posts and pans and create for yourself, your family, and your loved ones some heart warming soul food.
In just a couple hours you could whip up one of my old time favourites, the Classic Seafood Mornay, combing your own selection of just about any of the ocean gems, including scallops, squid, prawns, crab, crays, mussels and, of course, fish.
A well structured poached seafood dish like seafood mornay is to me true ‘comfort food' – a joy to eat in any season, particularly so in winter where one can enjoy the poaching process, sampling a crisp fruity white wine while the mouth-watering aromas waft through the kitchen.
Mornay sauce is a close derivative of bechamel sauce (white sauce) which is basically a milk-based sauce thickened with a roux (equal quantities of butter and flour).
There is an interesting story behind bechamel that goes back to the reign of Louis XIV around the 1600s. The Marquis Louis de Bechemel was a wealthy financier who enjoyed the position of Lord Steward of the Royal Household to King Louis. The invention of bechamel sauce is attributed to him but it had, no doubt been known for a long time under another name. It is more likely to be the creation of a court chef who dedicated it to Bechamel as a compliment.
Suffice to say the nice creamy texture of a well-made bechamel can be used as the foundation to a tasy mornay sauce. Mornay sauce can be used to create yummy Cray Mornay and Cray Thermidor, Crab Mornay, used as a topping for new season steamed asparagus or for a single seafood dish like Scallop Mornay served in the shell with a golden brown cheese gratin.
The following recipe for Seafood Mornay should be used as a guide only – you can change ingredient amounts to suit your budget and what seafood is available. Frozen products like green (uncooked) prawns, scallops, squid and fish are perfect to use.
Note: The big tip here, as with all seafood, is not to overcook these delicate morsels – poach gently not boil rapidly.
Seafood Mornay
(serves 5-6)
Ingredients
200 gm green prawn cutlets (de-veined)
200 gm scallop flesh
100 gm squid tube, cut into rings or quartered
300-400 gm firm fleshed white fish (cod, kingfish, snapper)
1 litre water
1 litre milk
100 gm grated cheese (cheddar, fresh Parmesan, Gruyere, Swiss)
1 onion, diced finely
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 glass Riesling or Semillon
pinch se salt & white pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 sticks celery, finely sliced
1/3 bunch spring onions, finely sliced
1 sprig dill
Method
In a pot bring 1 litre of water to a simmer. Season with a glass of white wine, sea salt & half a lemon. Gently poach all the seafood in turn. Remove and cool in cold water. Drain. (remember cook until just done.) Add milk to seafood stock and thicken as per bechamel recipe.
In a heavy-based frying pan, saute, without colouring, the onions garlic and celery in olive oil.
Add cooked drained seafood and then add enough Mornay sauce to cover generously. Mix gently through, add seasoning if necessary and half of the grated cheese. Mix in the spring onions.
Pour into a casserole dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake in the oven until the top is golden brown – approximately 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh dill and serve.
Note: If sauce is too thick add a splash of milk or white wine. A good slurp of cream will add another creamy texture (you probably have gathered by now that this is not a recipe approved by the Heart Foundation).
Accompaniment
Oven baked rice pilaf is a great partner for all Mornays.
Seafood Crepes
These are easy to make one you have prepared your seafood Mornay mix.
Make crepes as per basic crepe mix. Gently reheat some seafood mornay mix, spoon some mix on half of the crepe, fold top of crepe over and place in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Spoon a little more sauce over the top. Repeat until you have the required number of crepes, sprinkle with cheese and gratinate in oven or under the grill.
Wines
A good quality fruit-driven wine with some acid is needed to handle the rich creaminess of the sauce and to compliment the subtle seafood flavours.
I suggest a riesling, semillon or a young unwooded chardonnay.
Mornay Sauce
There are several ways to make a Mornay sauce.
Make bechamel as per the following recipe.
Make the fish stock, poach seafood in stock, add milk and then thicken the stock into a sauce (this method of preparation takes longer but produces a sauce of exquisite flavours).
Poach seafood in some water seasoned with sea salt, half a lemon and a glass of white wine. Then add enough milk to give 2 litres of liquid.
Fish Stock
(makes 5 litres)
Ingredients
75 gm butter
250 gm onion, finely sliced
1 small bayleaf
8 peppercorns
4 parsley sprigs
juice of 1 lemon
2 kg fish bones (whiting, dhufish, snapper, etc)
5 litres cold water
½ btle dry white wine (riesling/sauvignon blanc)
2 celery sticks
Method
Melt butter in saucepan, add onions, celery, bay leaf, peppercorns, parsley and lemon juice.
Add washed bones, cover with lid and lightly stew for 5 minutes, until without colour. Add water and wine and bring to the boil, skim and then turn to simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and cool. Freeze any unused stock.
Bechamel (white) Sauce
Ingredients
2 litres milk or a combination of milk and stock
50 gm onion
1 clove
1 small bayleaf
Method
Bring milk, onion, clove and bayleaf to the boil and allow to infuse for 5 minutes. Strain and gradually mix milk into the white roux (see accompanying recipe) using a wooden spatula, avoiding all lumps.
Simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden or metal spatula to prevent sticking. Pass through a fine strainer and cover with butter to prevent the formation of a skin.
White Roux
(Enough for 2 litres of white sauce)
Ingredients
100 grams butter
100 grams plain flour
Method
Melt butter gently in heavy saucepan. Add flour, mix in well over a low heat. Cook gently without colouring for approximately 5 minutes, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon. Allow to cool.
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