Pike Dumplings in Cream Sauce with Spinach

Ingredients

• 300 g pike fillet (deboned)
• 200 g perch fillet (deboned)
• 2 ice cubes
• Salt
• 100 g cold whipping cream
• 20 g soft butter
• 2 Eggs
• Cayenne pepper
• 500 g spinach leaves
• 2 tbsp butter
• Salt
• white pepper (ground)
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 200 ml robust fish stock
• 100 ml cream
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest (unprocessed)
• optional fix sauce binder
• 50 g cold butter (in cubes)
• 6 tsp caviar

Instructions

1. 1.

   Coarsely dice the fish fillets and pulse with 2 ice cubes and ½ tsp salt in a hand grinder, adding the cream as you go. Dice the soft butter. Separate the eggs. Add the butter and yolks to the mixture, pulse again. Beat the egg whites very stiffly and fold into the fish batter. Season with cayenne pepper and refrigerate covered for at least 30 minutes.

2. 2.

   Wash, trim, and blanch the spinach in boiling salted water for about 2 minutes, then drain, shock in ice water, and let dry on a sieve.

3. 3.

   From the fish mixture, scoop out dumplings with 2 tbsp and cook in simmering salted water (water must not boil) for about 8 minutes, removing carefully when done.

4. 4.

   For serving, melt butter in a small pot and sauté the drained spinach for a few minutes, seasoning with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

5. 5.

   To make the sauce, bring fish stock with cream and lemon zest to a simmer and lightly thicken. Fold in the cold butter cubes and whisk slightly to create a light froth.

6. 6.

   Plate the pike dumplings on steamed spinach leaves, drizzle with sauce, and garnish each with 1–2 tsp caviar.