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The starter, French classic

Pike quenelles in Nantua sauce

Pike quenelles in Nantua sauce is a classic Lyonnais starter for 6, made from poached pike dumplings topped with a creamy crayfish sauce. It takes 70 minutes of active work, can be fully prepped in the morning for an evening dinner, rates as medium difficulty, and costs about €5.00 per person. The key is poaching the quenelles at a gentle simmer so they stay light.

Classic Lyonnais pike quenelles, light as a cloud, topped with a crayfish Nantua sauce and baked until golden.

Pike quenelles in Nantua sauce
For
6 people
Work
1 h 10
Total time
2 h 50
Prep
Prepared the same day
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€5.00
Calories per person
480 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach

Pike quenelles have a texture that always surprises first timers, mousse-like and airy, nothing like what the name suggests before you taste one. The fish forcemeat, built with a panade and butter, puffs up as it bakes and soaks up the Nantua sauce without ever turning heavy. The crayfish bring a briny, slightly sweet note that gives the dish its character.

This is a starter for meals where you have some time on your hands, a Saturday dinner with friends, a family gathering in autumn or winter, or any occasion where you want to step outside the usual lineup. Keep the rest of the menu simple afterward, a straightforward meat or poultry main is enough following such a rich starter.

The schedule

What happens when, so you can be with your guests instead of in the kitchen.

  1. The day before Nothing to do
  2. The same day 5 steps, 1 h 44
  3. Before the guests arrive 1 step, 25 min
  4. When it's time to serve 1 step

In the morning, make the panade, the forcemeat, poach the quenelles, prepare the sauce, and assemble the dish in the fridge. Just before guests arrive, bake at 180°C for 25 minutes until the sauce bubbles and turns golden. Serve right away on warm plates, straight from the baking dish.

The ingredients

6 people

Fish counter

  • Pike fillets 450 g

Dairy

  • Milk 55 cl
  • Butter 180 g
  • Eggs 3
  • Heavy cream 20 cl
  • Grated Emmental 60 g

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 130 g
  • Tomato pasteoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Cognacoften in the pantry 2 cl
  • Nutmegoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Frozen foods

  • Peeled crayfish tails 150 g

Allergens Fish, Shellfish, Gluten, Eggs, Lactose

The recipe, moment by moment

The same dayDuring the day, whenever you get a moment.

  1. Make the panade by bringing 25 cl of milk to a boil with 50 g of butter, pour in 100 g of flour all at once and dry it out over the heat, then let it cool. 12 min

    Stir vigorously until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan.

  2. Blend the pike with the panade, the eggs, 100 g of softened butter, the nutmeg, salt and pepper, then let it rest in the fridge. 1 h

    Push the forcemeat through a sieve to remove any bones and sinew.

  3. Shape the quenelles using two spoons, drop them into gently simmering salted water and let them poach. 20 min

    Dip the spoons in hot water first, the forcemeat slides off without sticking.

  4. Make the sauce with a roux of 30 g butter and 30 g flour, add 30 cl of milk, the cream, tomato paste, cognac and crayfish. 12 min

    Sauté the crayfish for 1 minute with the cognac to concentrate the flavor.

  5. Arrange the drained quenelles in a baking dish, cover with sauce, sprinkle with Emmental and chill.

    Leave a little space between them, they puff up as they bake.

Before the guests arriveThe last hour, right before the doorbell rings.

  1. Bake at 180°C until the sauce bubbles and turns golden. 25 min

    The quenelles should have puffed up and the sauce should be bubbling at the edges.

When it's time to serveThe final touches, right in front of your guests.

  1. Serve right away, straight from the baking dish.

    Serve on warm plates, the gratin cools down very fast.

Our tips to get it right

  • Weigh the forcemeat while it's still cold before shaping the quenelles, a warm forcemeat sticks to the spoons and loses its shape in the oven.
  • Cook a small test ball in a skillet to check the seasoning before shaping the rest, that way you can adjust the salt if needed.
  • Use a wide baking dish rather than a deep one, the quenelles cook more evenly and the sauce browns better across the whole surface.

The variations

  • Swap the pike for monkfish or whiting, the texture stays light even if the flavor is a touch less distinctive.
  • For a version without crayfish, make the sauce with peeled pink shrimp, the flavor stays close even though it's no longer truly a Nantua sauce.
  • To save time, buy ready-made pike quenelles from the fish counter and spend your time on the homemade sauce instead, which makes most of the difference.

What to serve it with

  • Steamed rice or boiled potatoes
  • A chilled Chablis or white Mâcon
  • A simple green salad to lighten the meal

Storage

The assembled raw dish keeps up to 24 hours in the fridge before baking, tightly covered. Once baked, leftovers keep for 2 days in the fridge and reheat gently in the oven, freezing isn't recommended since it affects the texture of the forcemeat.

Questions about this recipe

Can you shape the quenelles without the traditional two spoons?

Yes, a piping bag without a tip gives more even quenelles and is often easier for a first attempt. The shape matters less than the poaching, which should stay at a bare simmer.

How do you know the quenelles are poached enough?

They float to the surface once they've puffed up, usually after 15 to 20 minutes depending on size. They finish cooking in the oven with the sauce, so they don't need to be fully cooked at this stage.

Can this be served as a main course instead of a starter?

Yes, doubling the quenelle and sauce quantities turns it into a convincing main for 6 people. Serve it with something simple like rice to balance the richness of the sauce.

What if the forcemeat doesn't hold together before baking?

Chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes, the cold firms up the butter and makes shaping easier. If it's still too soft, add a little more cold panade to tighten it.

Can pike quenelles in Nantua sauce be made ahead?

Yes, during the day. The recipe needs 1 h 10 of work in total, split up like this, the same day, 5 steps, before the guests arrive, 1 step, when it's time to serve, 1 step.

How long does it take to make pike quenelles in Nantua sauce?

Allow 2 h 50 in total, including resting and cooking time, of which 1 h 10 is actual work. The recipe is rated "medium".

How many calories are in pike quenelles in Nantua sauce?

About 480 kcal per person, for a recipe meant for 6 people. The calories are calculated by Kiloach, your kilo coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does pike quenelles in Nantua sauce cost?

About €5.00 per person, that's €30.00 for 6 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, shellfish, gluten, eggs, lactose. Remember to ask your guests about their allergies before putting your menu together.

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