A Quick Post Market Lunch

The color of this photo probably does not do it justice. Dennis of Mission Fresh Fish, who is a terrifically nice guy, and a very good fishseller, suggested these "Barry Bonds" prawns instead of the mediums I was eyeing. So we had two pan-seared jumbo prawns with a piece of butterfish and my unfussy (less rich) beurre blanc with broc and cauliflower from Swanton's Berry Farm. Beurre blanc is a simple sauce when made last minute and its bright flavors are a contrast to some muted restaurant versions (who use cream to help hold the emulsification). My off the cuff recipe is 1 medium shallot finely chopped with equal parts (2 tablespoons for this amount of shallots, but really who cares) white-wine or apple cider vinegar and lemon or lime juice. Reduce the shallots and the liquid over medium until it thickens and is about half the volume. Hold over very low flame until your entree is ready and whisk in the butter (6 tblspns or so). Julia suggests white pepper and salt, but I just taste it, add more butter, if needed, and pour over the entree. I really have only used it on fish. My main discovery is that more acidic vinegars require more reduction and more butter to balance them. As I prefer it lighter, I used a fantastic Gravenstein vinegar from Nana Mae.