Char with Bread Dumplings

For the dumplings, remove crusts from the bread slices. Cut bread into cubes and place in a bowl with the hot milk. Separate the egg. Mix cooled melted butter, egg yolks, and salt until creamy. Add the parsley to the soaked bread cubes. Mix bread thoroughly with the egg yolk mixture, and let sit for 10 minutes. Wet a thin cloth napkin or kitchen towel with boiling water and wring out. Bring a large saucepan of water (filled to two finger-widths from the top) to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Beat the egg white until it forms stiff peaks, and fold into the bread mixture. Brush one side of the napkin with melted butter. Form the dumpling batter into a roll about 8 cm (approximately 3 inches) in diameter. Set the roll in the center of the buttered side of napkin (making sure it is short enough so that ends won't touch sides of saucepan). Fold napkin up to loosely enclose the dumpling roll and tie ends tightly with kitchen string. Leave enough string to tie to a wooden spoon handle laid across the top of the pan from which to suspend the bundle in the water. Simmer the dumplings about 40 minutes until done.

For the filling, Blanch and peel the tomatoes and dice finely. Peel and finely chop the shallot and garlic. Clean and chop the mushrooms and sauté with the shallot and garlic in butter for 2–3 minutes. Add the cream and tomatoes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

Rinse the char and pat dry. In a nonstick skillet, sauté on the skin side in butter about 6 minutes over low heat. Season with salt and pepper, turn, and remove the skin.

Let dumplings rest 5 minutes after cooking. Then unwrap the roll from the cloth and cut into 8 thin slices.

Arrange a dumpling slice on a plate and top with some tomato-mushroom mixture. Lay another dumpling slice on top and then the fish. Deglaze the fish pan drippings with the veal stock, bring to a boil, and season with lemon juice. Drizzle sauce over the fish and serve.