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Fish, South and mountains

Pike-perch fillets in beaujolais sauce with steamed potatoes

Pike-perch fillets in beaujolais sauce are a pan seared fish dish topped with a red wine, cream and shallot sauce, served with steamed potatoes, for 4 people in 50 minutes, medium difficulty, at €6.50 per person. The key is reducing the wine fully, which removes the acidity and concentrates the flavor before the cream and butter go in.

Tonight, pan seared pike-perch in a beaujolais and shallot sauce, with steamed potatoes.

Pike-perch fillets in beaujolais sauce with steamed potatoes
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€6.50
Calories per person
440 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter, Spring

Pike-perch is a freshwater fish with delicate, lean flesh that needs a short cooking time to stay moist. Here, it's pan seared skin side down, then topped with a reduced beaujolais sauce finished with butter, which adds body without overpowering the fish's subtle flavor. The plain steamed potatoes balance the whole plate.

This is a dish for a slightly more special dinner than an average weeknight, worth making when you have a bit of time or when you're having people over without complicating your cooking. The red wine sauce gives a bistro feel to a meal that stays easy to pull off. Mon Chou suggests this recipe as a change from the usual lemon baked fish.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Pike-perch fillets 800 g

Pantry

  • Beaujolaisoften in the pantry 30 cl
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Shallots 4
  • Potatoes 800 g
  • Parsley 1 sprigs

Dairy

  • Heavy cream 10 cl
  • Butter 40 g

Allergens Fish, Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Steam the potatoes. 25 min

    Season the steaming water with a little salt.

  2. Sweat the chopped shallots in a knob of butter, pour in the beaujolais and let it reduce by half. 15 min

    The reduction is essential, it cooks off the alcohol and concentrates the flavor.

  3. Add the cream and let it thicken, then finish the sauce with the rest of the butter in small pieces. 5 min

    Add the cold butter off the heat, the sauce turns glossy.

  4. Sear the pike-perch fillets skin side down, a few minutes on each side. 8 min

    Pike-perch is lean, don't overcook it.

  5. Top with the sauce and serve with the steamed potatoes and parsley.

    Spoon the sauce around the fish rather than over it to keep the skin crisp.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick pike-perch fillets that feel firm and smell clean, a sign of freshness, so the flesh holds together while cooking.
  • Pat the skin dry before searing, it crisps up better and won't stick to the pan.
  • Taste the sauce before finishing it with butter and adjust the salt then, since the butter softens the flavor afterward.

The variations

  • Swap the pike-perch for pike or trout, two freshwater fish with a similar texture.
  • For a fish free version, make the same beaujolais sauce with sauteed mushrooms and spoon it over steamed potatoes.
  • For kids, serve the steamed potatoes with a bit of butter and parsley on the side, skipping the wine sauce, which suits adults better.

What to serve it with

  • Steamed potatoes, already in the recipe
  • A glass of the same beaujolais
  • A simple green salad to start

Storage

The sauce keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, but the cooked fish tastes best the same day. If you have leftovers, store the fish and sauce separately, and reheat the sauce gently without letting it boil so it doesn't split. This dish doesn't freeze well, the texture of the fish and the creamy sauce would suffer.

Questions about this dish

Can you use a different wine instead of beaujolais?

Yes, pick a fruity, low-tannin red wine like a gamay or a light pinot noir. A heavier, more tannic wine would make the sauce taste more bitter.

Can you make the sauce ahead of time?

You can reduce the wine with the shallots ahead of time and add the cream just before serving. Always finish with the butter at the last minute, right before topping the fish.

How do you know when the pike-perch is cooked?

The flesh turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Count a few minutes per side, pike-perch is lean and cooks fast, so it's better to pull it off the heat a bit early.

Can you use light cream instead of heavy cream?

You can, but the sauce will be less rich and won't emulsify as well with the butter. Heavy cream gives a better result for this kind of reduced sauce.

How long does it take to make pike-perch fillets in beaujolais sauce with steamed potatoes?

Count 50 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in pike-perch fillets in beaujolais sauce with steamed potatoes?

About 440 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does pike-perch fillets in beaujolais sauce with steamed potatoes cost?

About €6.50 per serving, or €26.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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