James Beard's New Fish Cookery - James Beard [83]
FILLETS OF SOLE CREOLE
6 fillets of sole
Court bouillon (page 18)
11/2 cups sauce velouté (page 21)
3 large tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
6 tablespoons butter
Chopped parsley
Poach the fillets in court bouillon according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12) and remove to a hot gratin or serving dish. Reduce the bouillon to 1 cup and strain. Using it as a base, prepare 11/2 cups of sauce velouté.
Sauté the vegetables in butter until lightly browned but not mushy. Season to taste. Top the fillets with the vegetable mixture, cover with the sauce, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and run under the broiler for a few minutes.
FILLETS OF SOLE NIÇOISE
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
11/2 cups tomato sauce
12 anchovy fillets
6 fillets of sole
2 cups tomato juice
1/4 cup vermouth or red wine
1 teaspoon basil
18 ripe olives
Chopped parsley
Sauté the garlic in olive oil; add the tomato sauce and 6 of the anchovy fillets, chopped. Season to taste.
Poach the sole fillets in the tomato juice and the vermouth (or wine) flavored with the basil, following the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Remove the fish to a hot platter and reduce the liquid to 1 cup very quickly. Combine it with the tomato sauce and allow it to cook down and blend nicely. Taste for seasoning and pour over the fish. Garnish with the 6 remaining anchovy fillets and the olives. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
SOLE AU VERMOUTH
6 fillets of sole
11/4 cups dry vermouth
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons cream
Salt
Poach the fillets in just enough dry vermouth to cover them according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Remove them to a flat baking or gratin dish. Reduce the cooking liquid over a brisk flame until it is practically a glaze.
Put the egg yolks and the butter cut into small pieces into the top of a double boiler. Cook over hot water and beat with a wire whisk or electric beater until thickened and smooth. Add the cream and the reduced cooking liquid, and salt to taste. Take care that the water never boils, or you will have scrambled eggs instead of a smooth sauce. Pour the sauce over the fillets and run under the broiler to glaze.
NOTE: The many herbs and flavorings in the vermouth make extra seasonings unnecessary in this dish.
FILLETS OF SOLE MARGUERY
This is one of the most famous recipes for sole, having been created in the old Restaurant Marguery in Paris. It is not a difficult dish, and the combination of flavors makes it remarkably good.
6 fillets of sole
White wine
24 shrimp
36 mussels
Sauce au vin blanc (page 23)
Poach the fillets in enough white wine to cover them according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Remove to a baking dish. Shell and clean the shrimp and poach in the same wine for 3 minutes. Keep hot. Steam the mussels until they open (page 416) and extract the meat. Reduce the white wine and prepare the sauce. Cover the fillets with the sauce, surround them with the shrimp and mussels, and run under the broiler for a minute to glaze.
FILLETS OF SOLE DUXELLES
6 fillets of sole
White wine
Sauce duxelles (page 27)
18 small mushroom caps
4 tablespoons butter
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup port wine
Chopped parsley
Poach the fillets in white wine to cover as in the preceding recipe. Remove to a flat baking or gratin dish. Reduce the wine and make the sauce duxelles. Sauté the mushrooms lightly in butter and season to taste. Remove to a hot plate and keep hot. Rinse the pan in which the mushrooms were cooked with the port and pour it over the fish. Cover with the sauce, top with the sautéed mushroom caps, and run under the broiler to glaze. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
FILLETS OF SOLE