Tahitian Vanilla Cream Sauce with White Fish Fillet

So, my daughter is getting married next month! YIPPEE!!! We are all very happy and excited about this momentous event. It's been a long time coming. The bride and groom have been together for many years and finally the time is right.

Because of these upcoming nuptials and all that they entail, you may have noticed that my posts have been fewer. I'm sure you can imagine, but this wedding planning is VERY time consuming! I apologize for my lack of posting, which will more than likely continue until after the wedding at the end of July.

In any case...What does that have to do Tahitian Vanilla, you ask? Well...a lot in my book. I was lucky enough to get to go to Tahiti, a few years back, with my love. We stayed on a gorgeous and utterly incredible small island (only 9 bungalows on the entire island, with only three over water) called Vahine Island, near Bora Bora. Our five days on Vahine Island, turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of my life. This post is so bittersweet because, we had decided to return to this romantic island for our honeymoon, which was to be planned in the somewhat near future from this trip. And so, as my beautiful daughter and I plan her wedding and discuss her future and honeymoon plans, I am reminded of this dreamlike paradise and my love, who is now looking down on us and pouring his love over us from wherever he is in the heavens above.

Our trip was magical and to begin, after a night in Tahiti, we had a short flight to a nearby airport and then a quick boat trip to the island. Upon arrival, we were seated in their quaint little bar area with a welcome cocktail and then escorted to our very Polynesian-styled over water bungalow. Heaven awaited us, although at the time, we had no idea how much heaven we would be enjoying for the next few days. (Yes..there is a heavenly theme here).

Our place is the one on the end...so tranquil.

Paradise? I say yes!!!

Our room had a see-through coffee table, which could be opened to feed the colorful fish that congregated around the strategically placed mound of coral, beneath our bungalow. This proved to be an endless source of fascination, until we took our first snorkel trip, which then made our little natural aquarium seem to pale a bit in comparison. (Details to come!)

Steps down from our deck to the crystal blue Tahitian water and our little pet fish menagerie. I still miss those little tykes!

It was hard to leave our perfect little over water bungalow, but we did manage to get out to do some amazing snorkeling and kayaking around the nearby islands.

Our first snorkel trip was with Rollo, who took us out in the outrigger and proceeded to guide us through the nearby coral reefs, just off our tiny island paradise.

I have snorkeled in Hawaii and Mexico and The Bahamas and several other noted snorkel spots, but nothing prepared me for what I witnessed here in the crystal clear waters of French Polynesia! The water was as clear as glass and the colors of the coral and the tropical fish can not even be described, but I'll give it a try! The coral was bright turquoise, purple, pink and yellow. There were schools of tiny neon blue, green, red and orange fish, yellow angel fish, multicolored fish and a myriad of fish that made me gasp in delight around every mound of bright coral. It was a feast for the senses! What a day!

The next day, we felt confident that we could navigate the reefs ourselves. We had the kitchen pack us a picnic lunch with wine and french cheese and we took off in a kayak to a nearby deserted island, to spend the day in Robinson Crusoe fashion. We were not disappointed with the picnic or the snorkeling. We spent the day on our own little island in the Pacific.

Again...the best time ever! If there is any chance you can get to this island paradise, I highly recommend it! The other amazing thing about this island, is that there is a four star chef in residence, who cooks all of your meals...are you making your reservation yet?

I'm not joking when I say that I had some of the most delicious food here each night. Almost worth the trip just for the decadent dinners! We also enjoyed the silkiest vanilla yogurt each day for breakfast, made by the chef. I topped mine with fresh, tart passion fruit for the perfect start to our lazy days in paradise.

I could go on and on (which I already seem to have done!), and so I will just say that this trip was one of my most favorite and memorable, and I want to share with you,one of the dishes that we enjoyed on the island.

Tahiti is known for it's rich Vanilla beans, and so here is a take on a Vanilla cream sauce from the Islands of Tahiti.

I started with a seasoned filet of sole, because they looked so fresh and lovely at the market. Any light white fish filet will do, such as sea bass or Mahi Mahi. Just use thinly filleted mild white fish. Use one that looks white and fresh and smells like the ocean.

Saute the fillets in butter, over medium high heat, for a couple of minutes on each side, until they just start to turn golden brown. Remove the fish to a plate and cover to keep warm.

In the same pan, saute the shallot in butter until translucent and then add in the rum. Cook down the rum mixture until there is about a tablespoon left in the pan.

Next, add the coconut milk and the cream, vanilla bean, seeds and vanilla extract and let this all come to a simmer for about 15 minutes, until it's thickened to sauce consistency. It should coat the back of a spoon. Regarding the vanilla beans...they have them in the market in jars, in the spice section. Just run your knife down the length of the bean to open it up and then take the flat edge of your knife and scrape the tiny seeds out. They will just pile up on the edge of your knife. Easy! Put all of the seeds and the pod into the pan.

I like to serve the fish with Macadamia nut cauliflower rice. Just add a little coconut milk to the cauliflower rice and then toss in some chopped macadamia nuts. YUM!

White Fish Fillet with Tahitian Vanilla Cream Sauce

Yield: 2 Servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound white fish fillet (sole, Mahi Mahi, sea bass)

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 shallot, minced

• ¼ cup rum

• 1 vanilla bean

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ cup heavy cream

• ½ cup coconut milk

• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in sauté pan over medium high heat. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper to taste and add to pan. Let sauté for 2-3 minutes until just starting to turn golden brown. Turn fish and let cook on opposite side for 2-3 minutes until firm and just golden. Remove to plate and cover to keep warm.

Add 1 tablespoon butter to same pan. Add in minced shallot and sauté for several minutes until translucent. Meanwhile, slice vanilla bean pod lengthwise and slide knife along pod to remove the seeds.

Add rum to shallots and let that cook down to about 1 tablespoon. Pour in the cream and coconut milk, vanilla bean, vanilla extract and vanilla seeds and let come to a simmer. Cook down for 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve over fish fillet.