Quenelle Forcemeat of Whitings is a traditional British recipe, based on Charles Elmé Francatelli's recipe of 1861, for a classic stuffing or forcemeat made from whiting fillets, butter and bread panada bound with eggs which can either be poached as quenelles or uses to stuff other fish and dishes. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Quenelle Forcemeat of Whitings.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Quenelle Forcemeat of Whitings that's derived from the chef, Charles Elmé Francatelli's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
No. 186.—QUENELLE FORCEMEAT OF WHITINGS
Skin two large whitings, scrape off the flesh with a spoon, and force it through a wire sieve with the back part of the bowl of a wooden spoon, on to a plate. Next, to twelve ounces of the prepared fish, add eight ounces of the panada, No. 184, and six ounces of fresh butter; pound these in a mortar, adding gradually three whole eggs and the yolks of two others; season with nutmeg, pepper and salt, and after being thoroughly mixed by further pounding, remove it into a basin to be kept upon ice till required for use. Note.—All kinds of fish quenelle forcemeat must be prepared as indicated for the composition of whiting forcemeat, using for those purposes any given quantity of salmon, trout, gurnet, haddock or codfish; bearing in mind that previously to mixing the fish with the other ingredients, it must be forced through a wire sieve. The proportions of panada and butter are the same.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
2 large whitings, filleted and skinned
240g bread panada
180g butter
3 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
freshly-grated nutmeg, to taste
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Scrape the flesh of the fish with a spoon to flake and remove any bones. Place in a food processor and purée then rub the meat through a fine-meshed sieve.
Take 360g of the fish purée and and mix in a mortar with the butter and bread pananda. Slowly add in the eggs until combined then work in the egg yolks. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt and black pepper then pound the mixture and work until smooth.
Turn into a bowl, cover and store in the refrigeratory. A typical way of using this forcemeat would be to shape into balls or to shape into ovals with two spoons before cooking in lightly-salted water and serving as an accompaniment to soups.
