COOKING WITH GALA

PASTEL DE PESCADO
Basque Fish Budín (Terrine)

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 pound shrimp, lightly cooked (poached), chopped in large pieces
2 pounds hake or similar white fleshed fish, poached, flaked
1 cup tomato purée
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper (optional)
3 whole eggs
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons mustard
Pinch of piment d'Espelette, or cayenne powder
1 tablespoon Armagnac or brandy

Preheat oven to 350°F. Over medium heat, add oil to a skillet and sauté onions, until they are no longer opaque, add garlic, sauté 1 minute, add wine, reduce heat and allow to simmer. Stir occasionally until liquid is mostly evaporated. Remove onions with liquid and process to a coarse purée.

In a large bowl mix together tomato purée, cream, leeks, and fish, add salt and pepper to taste, stir in whole eggs and yolks and then add the chopped shrimp. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, and fold into fish mixture, adding one-third or half of the whites at a time.

Grease a baking pan and spread bread crumbs over the bottom, then pour fish mixture over the crumbs. Bake in a hot water bath or bain marie for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Slide a knife along the sides to loosen terrine from mold. Place a plate on top and invert to coax the preparation to fall away from the mold.

Whisk mayonnaise, adding ketchup and mustard until all ingredients are blended, stir in the piment d'Espelette and brandy. Spoon a bit of sauce over each serving of fish terrine.