Recipe from the Golden Chef award winner 2008

Mr Stéphane Décotterd, cook of the year 2008 and chef in the Restaurant "Le Pont de Brent", recommends:
Roasted tuna en croute with tomato carpaccio

Stephane Décotterd recommends with this plate an Humagne Blanche from the "Collection Chandra Kurt".

Picture: François Busson- L'illustré

Ingredients (4 people) Tuna: - 700g red tuna fillet from the thick part of the fish - 20g pitted niçoise olives - 20g sun-dried tomatoes - 1 egg white - 1 500g loaf white bread - salt, pepper/ Basque chilli pepper powder (Esplette chilli) - 20g clarified butter - 20g fresh butter Tomato carpaccio: - 8 vine tomatoes (Roma or San Marzano) - 1 bunch basil - 1 clove garlic - 100ml basil oil Green tomato vinaigrette: - 8 green tomatoes - 200ml fish stock - 100ml olive oil - salt, Cayenne pepper - 5g slivered niçoise olives - 5g finely diced sun-dried tomatoes - 2g roasted pine nuts, crushed - 100ml basil oil To serve: - 100g mixed salad leaves (rocket, purslane, lamb’s lettuce) - vinaigrette (salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, basil oil) - sea salt - Basque chilli pepper powder (Esplette chilli)

Method:


Tuna:
Trim and cut the tuna fillet to obtain one or more cylinders 5cm in diameter.

Fine tuna stuffing:
In a food processor finely chop 100g of the tuna trimmings and mix well with the olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Season and add the egg white. Mix again for a few minutes to obtain a homogenous mixture. Set aside.

Assembly:
Remove the crusts from the bread. Cut the loaf lengthwise in 2mm thick slices. Place the slices on cling film and spread a fine layer of stuffing over the surface. Season the fish with pepper and place it on the bread. Roll up, pressing firmly. Keep chilled. When you are ready to cook, remove the cling film and seize the fish rolls in clarified butter on all sides. Add the fresh butter and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Take care not to overcook the fish – it should still be pink in the middle!

Tomato carpaccio:
Wash the tomatoes. Remove the stems and cut a small cross in the top. Plunge the tomatoes into boiling water for 30 seconds, then refresh under cold water. Peel the tomatoes and cut them into four segments. Trim the quarters and remove the seeds so that only the outside flesh remains. Cook the off cuts for about 10 minutes with a clove of garlic and a bunch of basil. Strain and set the juice aside to cool. Carefully slice the tomato quarters into two thin slices through the thickness and cut again with a cookie cutter to neaten. Marinate in the tomato juice, Esplette chilli and basil oil. Set aside.

Green tomato vinaigrette:
Wash the green tomatoes and remove the stems. Cut them into quarters. Carefully remove the pips and chop the tomatoes finely in a food processor with the fish stock. Strain the juice into a frying pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and filter again, taking care not to cloud the juice. Then reduce the tomato juice by three quarters. Beat with olive oil to slightly thicken the sauce. Season and add the olives, tomatoes and pine nuts. Add the basil oil.

To serve:
Around the centre of each plate, arrange a rosette of marinated tomato petals. Season with a little balsamic vinegar-basil oil vinaigrette, sea salt and strips of basil. Make a small nest of salad leaves in the middle of the rosette. Cut the roasted tuna into 1cm thick slices and season with sea salt. Arrange on the salad leaves and spoon over the green tomato vinaigrette.

Le Pont de Brent
Mr Stéphane Décotterd
1817 Brent (VD)
Tel. (0)21 964 52 30
Fax (0)21 964 55 30