Mille-Feuille of eggplant and cod with verbena and shrimp

Ingredients:

10/ 4oz                            Cod filet

1 bunch                           Verbena, chopped (reserving 20 leaves unchopped)

1 cup                               Olive oil

3 small                             Eggplants, sliced thin

1 ½ lb                              President Butter

3                                     Shallots, minced

½ cup                              Celery, minced

1 cup                               White wine

1 ½ cup                           Fish stock

½ cup                              Flour

20                                   Shrimp, peeled

                                       Salt and fresh pepper

Step 1:

Marinate the cod filet in 1/2 cup olive oil and 1/3 cup chopped verbena

Step 2:

Sauté the eggplant slices in olive oil until softened and browned. Remove from the heat and drain slides on paper towel.

Step 3:

Sauté the shallots and the celery in 3 tbsp. of butter over medium heat. Deglaze with the white wine and add the fish stock.

Step 4:

Stir remaining chopped verbena into the sauce. Let sauce reduce to about 2 tbsp., and then emulsify with 1 lb. of butter. Strain sauce through fine mesh and keep warm.

Step 5:

Melt 4 tbsp. butter in large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook shrimp for about 1 minute per side. When cooked through remove from heat and reserve.

Step 6:

Lightly flour the cod and season with salt and pepper. Fry with butter 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Step 7:

Assemble in this order: eggplant slice, verbena leaf, cod, verbena leaf, eggplant. Follow the same process to create a 2nd layer and complete with an eggplant slice.

Step 8:

Finally, add the shrimp, verbena leaf and verbena sauce.