I really should be planning my move to Germany but can’t seem to get into the exit mode. After all, it’s only next door and if I forget anything I can always come back and get it. Forgot my traveling knives in the U.S., left my Kindle in the hotel and didn’t buy any yellow mustard. Whatever. My husband will pick them up when he goes back in August. Too old to travel 😦
Scorpion fish, or rascasse is a medium firm fish with a sweet, slightly wild taste. The spines and fins are venomous and I’m sure the fishmonger was very careful when he filleted it. My inspiration for this recipe is taken from The Kitchen of Oz http://www.thekitchenofoz.com/index.php/2011/01/cooking-in-paris/, apparently a student attending cooking school in Paris for this recipe. Thank you Oz.
I liked the lime, red pepper thing that was happening in this recipe, so I took it a little deeper with the ole Scotch of the Bonnet, eschewing the lime zest for a hearty squeeze of lime juice 🙂 The sauces of beurre noisette and balsamic velour were brilliant!
Oops! How did the ole Scotch of the Bonnet end up with the courgettes instead of with the fish? Magic!
Scorpion Fish Fillets with Yellow Courgettes
4 shallots, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 yellow courgettes, halved vertically and sliced
3 oz coppa, cut into strips
1 inch scotch bonnet, cut into little bits
A hearty squeeze of lime juice
2 oz butter
4-5 scorpion fish fillets
Salt
Pepper
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Velours de balsamic (balsamic vinegar reduction)
Saute the shallots in the olive oil until translucent. Add the courgettes and saute until crisp tender. Add the coppa and cook for another minute. Add the scotch bonnet and lime juice, mix well and set aside, keeping warm.
Brown the butter in a sauce pan over low heat, stirring constantly until brown. Set aside, keep warm.
Season the fillets with salt and pepper, then brown in the olive oil, 3 minutes per side.
Dot, swirl or drizzle some velours de balsamic on each plate, then mound the courgettes on top. Place a fillet on top of the courgettes and drizzle with the butter.
Wine suggestion: Muscadet
Cooking in Sens 
Delicious!!! I did not know you were moving to Germany!!
Thank you Ambrosiana. I’m not really moving there, just going on a long tdy of a year or two to be with my husband who has been assigned to AFRICOM in Stuttgart.
You’re so fortunate to have fresh fish nearby.. and to have it prepped.. that sounds dangerous! I,too, have a shorter memory these days.. xo
It’s a nightmare Smidge!
Looks delish. I am looking forward to your move to Germany, and watching you try your hand at spaetzle, knoedelen, and bretzeln. Let me know if you need me to ship you some yellow mustard. 🙂
Thanks Alison 🙂
Lovely fish! I really like your yellow zucchini dish with the scotch bonnets.
Thank you Tessa. I plan to add that one to my side dish repetoire 🙂
Ooh how unusual with the coppa in there too…really fancy trying it!
The coppa was great! That’s the first time I’ve cooked with it.
Excellent – I think I’ve only noticed rascasse used in bouillabaisse before – probably because it requires careful handling.
As much as I feel disappointed that you are leaving France, I’m sure there will be all sorts of exciting food just waiting to be cooked in Germany 😉
I’m excited about discovering what there is to eat and cook in Germany. Not just the usual, but the German cuisine I don’t know about 🙂
I hope you’ve been carefully considering where the windows, that will provide fabulous daylight for your photography, are situated in your new German residence. I look forward to your new Bauhaus look:)
It will be, “Step away from the house Kevin, not enough light!”
I don’t have many recipes for scorpion fish (AKA sculpin) so I appreciate this. I’ve gone fishing for scorpion fish twice in my life (both off the coast of Southern California). It’s definitely scary reeling in those creatures, but luckily, there are experts on the boats to trim the spines and fillet them for you. I’ve only fried them in the past, and they are delicious! My family agrees that it’s the best fish of the sea. I’m saving this recipe for the next time I got out. Thanks!
I’m glad you like the recipe Kell. I agree, it is a wonderful tasting fish!
Beautiful dish, beautifully plated.
Thank you bits 🙂
Oh no! Where would I be without my kindle? I already have too many actual books to fit in my room… I don’t think I could easily locate an actual book. That does look truly delicious, Rosemary! Where in Germany are you moving to?
Fortunately, I have boxes and boxes of actual books, and a kindle application on my Ipad. I must read! We’re going to Stuttgart. Thank you Frugal.
I can barely move for them :D. Oh cool, though I’ve been to Germany five times, I’ve never been there. How exciting! I love Germany.
Looks great. Had no idea scorpion fish were even edible but it seems we can get them in California- we need to try it. But we may also adapt the rest of the recipe to another white fish- the flavors sound lovely. Thx
Thank you. Another white fish should work fine.
Scorpion fish meant nothing to me but I recognize ‘racasse’ as being one of the fish that are ‘de riguer’ for a ‘true’ Bouillabaise … We catch the ‘Sculpin’ that one of your commenters mention all around the coast of North America…. even here in the VERY far north but I’m not sure they are the same. The spines on Sculpin are not poisonous as far as I know. BTW … have you had a Bouillabaisse in Marseille?
I’ve never been to Marseille but I have had a bouillabaisse that was said to be Marseille style but I doubt it https://cookinginsens.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/lambiance-des-halles-boulliabaisse-maison/
Never tried scorpion fish yet but it sounds like fugu, very thrilling to eat 🙂
I think fugu is a lot more thrilling/dangerous to eat :0
I’m coming to this conversation late… but I was in a tapas bar in Seville and saw scorpionfish on the menu and had to look it up. I didn’t know it was edible, either, and thought maybe the menu was a mistranslation from Spanish (as often seems to happen). Apparently not, they do serve scorpionfish here. Guess I’ll have to go back and try it. I also want to mention the the sculpin referred to above is not a true scorpionfish, but a non-poisonous member of a related family. The first fish I ever caught, as a kid off the Santa Monica, California, pier, was a sculpin. Just the kind of ugly fish that would stick in one’s memory all these years.
I just bought 2 beautiful rascasse fillets at the Le Bugue market and never having heard of this fish, let alone cook it, was scouring Google for recipes when yours popped up. What a coincidence! I follow your blog religiously – so now dinner is all sorted out. I have just bought green courgettes, so will use those. Thanks for the recipe. Can’t wait to try it out tonight.
Good luck with the recipe Nadia. We enjoyed it.
Just finished dinner. It was delicious!
Merci.