Lyonnaise quenelles in cream sauce

Ingredients

	175 g of all purpose flour (approx. 1.25 cups)
	3 eggs
	3 tablespoons of butter
	1 cup of water
	(Optional) 250-300 g of white fish (eg. pike or merlu hake fish)
	(Optional) 4 slices of ham or jambon cru

For the sauce:

	40 cl of crème fraîche or heavy cream (2 cups)
	1/2 cup of shredded gruyère cheese or emmental
	Pinch of nutmeg
	Salt and pepper

How to make lyonnaise quenelles

1. Heat the water, butter, and salt in a casserole pan over low heat until the butter is fully melted. Keep it gentle, no aggressive boiling.
2. Add the flour all at once and stir constantly over low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture forms a smooth dough and pulls away from the sides of the pan. This step dries the dough slightly and builds structure.
3. Remove from heat and incorporate the eggs one at a time, stirring as the mixture cools. Keep mixing until smooth and fully combined.
4. Optional: Blend the fish until smooth, then fold it gently into the dough mixture until evenly incorporated.
5. Flour your work surface and lightly flour your hands to prevent sticking.
6. Shape small portions of dough into round or oval “sausages,” placing them into a silicone mold tray for uniform size. A spoon helps portion them evenly.
7. Chill the quenelles in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes so they firm up and hold their shape.
8. Transfer the chilled quenelles into a deep baking dish.
9. Optional: Add the strips of ham or jambon cru in half and place one piece over each quenelle.
10. Cover with heavy cream, sprinkle generously with grated cheese, and finish with a light dusting of nutmeg.
11. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (360°F) for about 35 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden on top.
12. Serve warm and creamy.

Not all French recipes originate in Paris. And actually, quenelles are not a dish that you will find easily on Parisian menus, because it is actually local to Lyon.

The capital of the Rhône Alps, Lyon in the middle of France, is considered the gastronomical capital of France. And it is from this region that quenelles originate.

Quenelles are a traditional mixture of dough, cream, egg yolk, and and sometimes pike fish. In Lyon, quenelles are enjoyed as an appetizer, starter, or as a main dish.

The quenelle is a sausage-shaped dough that is cooked in a creamy sauce. It is also sometimes served with other dishes, such as veal, rice and salad. The original recipe is believed to have been created in the 1800s, when the pike fish was abound in the Rhône-Alpes region.

The plain dumpling, simply called quenelle lyonnaise nature, was mainly eaten during the World War II when France was experiencing severe meat and fish shortages. Later, with many a Michelin-starred chef based in Lyon, including the legendary Paul Bocuse adding their own variations to it, the dish became famous all over France.

Now, I will admit that if you are in France and look on at a French website for a recipe for quenelles, they simply assume that you bought your quenelles at the local French grocery store, not tried to prepare them themselves. Most French recipes assume you will buy them, add a sauce to it, and then stick it in the oven.

It was only when I tried to translate the recipe with my relatives in the U.S. that I realized that they couldn’t actually go buy quenelles at Whole Foods, they needed to prepare them themselves. And is it worth it? Oh yeah, this is definitely a favorite in our household!

Nature or Fish Quenelles

The traditional Quenelles de Brochet were made including fish into the blended dough pastry, usually pike fish. And the whole thing was topped off with a creamy shellfish, lobster, or crayfish Nantua sauce.

These days quenelles that you will find in French brasseries or restaurants come in other varieties such as nature, or topped with ham or mushrooms. And sauces vary from butter sauces, herbed sauces, béchamel or cream sauces.

Given that it is not always easy to find pike or crayfish, this recipe will prepare nature quenelles with cream sauce, but I will note where to add the pike as an optional ingredient if you want to follow the traditional Lyonnaise recipe.

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