Thierry Daraize created this recipe while he was chef-woner of the Restaurant Le Dauphin at Challans in Vendée, where he combined innovative new ideas with traditional local products.

1. You can replace the *tourteau crab and velvet swimming crab with common crab.
2. **Mirepoix =  very small dice.

Preparing the potatoes

1. peel and wash the potatoes; grate on a mandolin; season with salt and pepper;  
2. cook the grated potatoes in 8 small cakes in a little oil in a skillet; set aside; 
3. clean, wash and chop the leeks finely; sweat in butter; add a little cream; set aside. 

Preparing the sauce

1. cut the shellfish in half; remove the lungs; sauté the shellfish in olive oil;
2. add the aromatic garnish (carrot, onion, leek greens, celery, bouquet garni);
3. when they have colored lightly, add the cognac and white wine; add the fish stock to half cover; simmer until the liquid has reduced by half; 
4. add the rest of the cream; bring to a boil and cook briefly;
5. purée everything in a blender; strain; whisk in 50 g (3 tbsp.) butter; correct the seasoning. 

Cooking the pike perch

1. cut the fillets into thin slices; season with salt and pepper;
2. coat the slices with sesame seeds on one side only; press well so that they adhere;
3. place on a buttered pan and cook for 1 minute in a hot oven without browning. 

Finishing and presentaiton

1. arrange the pike perch slices in a wreath on a plate;
2. in the center, stack a potato cake, top with leeks, another potato cake, and more leeks; pour the sauce over top and garnish as desired.