- 8
Ingredients
- four 1-lb sole, filleted, the carcasses, heads and trimmings reserved
- 1 bottle red wine
- 1-2 fennel stalks
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 springs fresh flat-leafed parsley
- 2-3 unpeeled garlic cloves, coarsly crushed
- salt
- pepper
- 20 tbsp. butter, 4 tbsp. softened, 16 tbsp. cut into small cubes
Preparation
Step 1
Chop or break up the sole carcasses and trimmings into fairly even-sized pieces. Put them, with the heads, in a large nonreactive pot and add the fennel stalks, carrot, onion, thyme, bay leaf, parsley and garlic cloves. Pour in the wine, season with salt and add enough cold water to cover the contents of the pot by about 1 inch [2½ cm,]. Place the pot, uncovered, over fairly low heat and bring the liquid gradually to a boil, skimming off the scum that rises as the liquid approaches the boiling point. This will take about 15 minutes.
Reduce the heat, place the lid slightly ajar on the pot and simmer the stock for 30 minutes.
Strain the stock into a bowl through a colander lined with several layers of dampened muslin or cheesecloth. Discard the trimmings, carcasses, heads, vegetables and herbs.
Return the strained stock to the pot and bring it to a boil again, skimming off any scum that rises. Continue to boil until the stock is reduced by about two thirds, then remove the pot from the heat and let the stock cool.
Pat the fillets dry with paper towels. Slit the surface membrane of each fillet 6 times diagonally, then season them with salt and pepper. Smear the fillets with the softened butter and fold each one in half with the scored surfaces inside. Place the fillets in a heavily buttered sauté pan.
Pour the cold stock over the fish and add red wine, if necessary, to barely cover the fillets. Cover the fillets tightly with buttered parchment paper and place a lid on the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and leave the pan to stand, tightly covered, for 8 to 10 minutes.
Uncover the fillets and transfer them to a wire rack set over a tray. Cover the fillets again with the parchment paper and let them drain.
To make the sauce, strain the poaching liquid through a sieve set over a heavy pan and add any liquid that has drained from the fish. Boil the liquid until it has a syrupy consistency. Reduce the heat to very low and put a heat-diffusing pad under the pan. Whisk the cubes of butter into the liquid a few at a time.
Arrange the fillets on a warmed serving dish and ladle a little of the sauce over them. Serve the rest of the sauce separately, in a warmed sauceboat.