# What kind of fish to serve with tenderloin



## tankster1 (Dec 17, 2011)

I have a dinner I am catering for 40 people.  They want tenderloin with some sort of fish, I was thinking of a pecan crusted trout with an orange rosemary sauce.  First of all will this go with tenderloin and secondly will the fish over cook in the cambro hot box and third, would I need a sauce for the tenderloin?  also how far should  I cook the tenderloin before putting in the hot box.  Thank you so much


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## laurenlulu (Sep 9, 2012)

My advice.. cook tenderloin to medium rare then quickly chill. An hour or two from service, pull out tenderloin, slice and put into hotel pan. Just before bringing out to buffet (an assumption), ladel piping hot sauce over meat. This warms the meat but does not allow for overcooking. Keep an eye on the clock so that a fresh pan can be rotated out before hitting that 4 hour ServSafe mark.

I think the trout would be too thin to withstand the heat for long. Maybe rolled, stuffed and crusted would keep it from drying or overcooking while it sits. Possibly choose a heartier fish like Red Snapper?


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

Is it a plate up or a buffet?


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## tankster1 (Dec 17, 2011)

This is a plated dinner.  One small oven.  I really appreciate your input.


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## tankster1 (Dec 17, 2011)

This is a plated dinner.  There is one small oven. I appreciate any input.  What sauce would go with both tenderloin and fish.  The client doesn't want salmon.


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## cheflayne (Aug 21, 2004)

I would suggest a halibut which can be cut into a nice thickness for a sturdy portion and then poaching it. Doing it that way, they will hold up good and stay moist for your holding period. The tenderloin I would roast whole probably to MR with carryover heat raising it to M in the cambro where it will rest and hold fine, and then slice it right before plate up time. Sauce I would say bearnaise which will work with both proteins.


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## tankster1 (Dec 17, 2011)

Thank you Cheflayne, I appreciate your advice.


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## skillet (Oct 6, 2010)

Cheflayn....good advice...great choice in the sauce...makes me hungry for a little surf and turf as I type. I would also suggest some sort of cookie cooling rack dropped right inside the cambro w/meat placed on top of it....especially if dinner is held up for any reason ( they usually are LOL ) you don't want that meat sitting in its juice cooking even more than the projected doneness.


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## tankster1 (Dec 17, 2011)

Skillet, that is great advice.  I appreciate it very much as most of our catering is done buffet style and tenderloin isn't on the menu usually.  I assume the sauce should be kept separate but warm in the cambro.  Was going to do a butternut squash risotto but am thinking potato puree now as the risotto would be over cooked.  What are your thoughts?  Could I sear the halibut to get the color or should I poach as cheflayne suggested?


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## skillet (Oct 6, 2010)

its hard to say not seeing the kitchen or their oven but I think poaching the halibut would be fine but I know what you are saying b/c I like to see the golden brown color seared fish....especially the nice white halibut. If it were at all possible I would try really hard to cook any fish on site but halibut is pretty sturdy so for Cheflayn to suggest it is a good call IMO. Sauce I would definitely put on the side. The little 1 or 2 gal igloo round coolers work great for bringing small amounts to the smaller jobs and sauces stay hot for a long while. I'm a big boil and bag person so I would in this case, make my sauce at commissary, bag it while hot then put the bag in the cooler with hot water..once at the job, slit the bag open and dump in your chaffer. if you do choose to poach your halibut..remember how white it will be...visiually thinking about this plate IMO it is going to be pretty colorless unless you go with the butternut risotto will you be doing any sort of veg?...oppps   I see its plated...no need for chaffer for sauce..just pour the bag in the cooler and ladle from there or if you have help ladle sauce tableside. I know rice seems so boring but it does hold up well for hours in a holding box and there are a ton of rice type options out there. Just FYI even if you don't think lemon will be needed, even if you think it would go horrible with how you are planning on preparing your fish....BRING AT LEAST ONE LEMON...you don't even have to cut the darn thing BUT FOR HEAVENS SAKE...BRING ONE!!! There is nothing worse (well maybe there is) than getting to a little home event and not a lemon in sight because you didn't bring any and you've searched the hostesses fridg. for 10 minutes and you have one lil old lady insisting that she cant eat her darn fish w/o a lemon. Happened not long ago on a cold poached salmon salad luncheon job we did..I was embarrassed and so was the hostess I think...but heck, who puts a lemon on a salmon salad!!Dah...now I bring lemons for every job...even if its only for the guests water glass!


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## tankster1 (Dec 17, 2011)

Skillet, its at a Museum, so the kitchen is very very tiny.  So you think the risotto is a good choice?  So I would cook 3/4 of the way done and then put on sheet tray and add hot stock before service.  Put the halibut on top of risotto and a slice of tenderloin next to it.  Green beans almondine are the veg.


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## skillet (Oct 6, 2010)

I would think that would work and be a pretty plate. Never done risotto as you are planning but sounds like a good idea and would think the risotto would still come back nice and creamy....I'll be interested in hearing what the others think. I don't get on here often..playing sick today LOL....but have found this site to be very helpful and full of ideas that are proven to work.


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## skillet (Oct 6, 2010)

I'm sure its too late but just happened to mention your idea w/chef about risotto...he told me I was out of my friggin mind to even suggest attempting to do risotto 3/4 then finished on site...he said it would not come back to a consistency he would want to serve. he also mentioned that he never hopes we sell a job and ask him to do this!!! There you have it...just what he said...not sure if you want to do a test run perhaps first....I still think it might work but I just wanted to give you a heads up. Maybe some professional chefs could give you their thoughts.


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## tigerwoman (Jul 18, 2002)

if you par cook the risotto about 75%, then cool on sheetpans and store,  You can finish on site in about 10 minutes using cassette fuel or stove top.


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## tankster1 (Dec 17, 2011)

Thanks Skillet.  The event is not until the 14th.  I do this all the time for smaller groups but I can see where it would be difficult for a large group.  So would you recommend just doing mashed potatoes?  That's seems so boring.  Thanks for your input.


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## tigerwoman (Jul 18, 2002)

Skillet - the method works because you are not reheating but finishing cooking.  It's similar to the concept of par cooking pasta, shocking and finishing a la minute.   Of course you don't dunk the risotto in ice water but you do spread out on sheet pan in single layer to cool down in refrigeration.   Google the idea - it's used quite often  and we've used it on quite a few catering jobs - successfully. 

Another thing to insure creaminess  for the risotto (a catering truc) is to stir in marscarpone when you stir in the add ins (mushrooms, peas, what ever)


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## skillet (Oct 6, 2010)

ThanksTigerwoman, that's exactly what I thought all along but my chef had me second guessing myself (he's the chef and I only know from what I've learned from others). The added cheese also sounds like a great idea...I will share this with him .....after I give him a little lunch of stir fried crow!!! LOL


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