Sole au Champagne

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Shallow 9-by-13-inch baking dish
• •Baking parchment
• •1-quart heavy saucepan
• •Fine-mesh strainer and measuring jug
• •Broiler-safe oval serving platter
• •10-inch heavy skillet
• •Flexible fish spatula
• •Small whisk

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare fish and pans

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Coat a shallow 9-by-13-inch baking dish with the softened butter. Cut the two reserved fillets julienne-fashion into match-shaped strips about ⅛ inch (3 mm) wide, lay them between clean towels, and keep them cold. Pat the eight serving fillets dry, season them with 1 teaspoon of the salt and half the white pepper, and fold each thin tail end underneath so every fillet has an even thickness.

2. 2

   Poach the sole gently

   Arrange the serving fillets in one snug layer in the buttered dish and pour the Champagne around them, not directly over the seasoned surfaces. Cover closely with buttered baking parchment, then bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The liquid should barely tremble, never boil, and the fish is ready when its centre has turned pearly and separates into moist flakes under gentle pressure. Lift the fillets onto a warm broiler-safe platter in four overlapping pairs, cover loosely, and keep them warm.

3. 3

   Reduce the poaching liquor

   Strain the poaching liquor into a measuring jug, note its volume, and pour it into a 1-quart heavy saucepan. Boil briskly until exactly half remains, usually 5 to 8 minutes. This reduction concentrates the Champagne and everything the sole gave the liquid, so measure rather than guessing by colour. If it slips below half, restore the missing volume with a little cold water and simmer for ten seconds.

4. 4

   Monter au beurre

   Whisk the prepared fish velouté into the reduced liquor and simmer gently for 1 to 2 minutes, only until the sauce nappe the back of a spoon in a smooth veil. If it remains thin, reduce it now; once the butter enters, boiling is forbidden. Take the saucepan completely off the heat and whisk in the cold butter one cube at a time until the sauce is ivory, glossy, and softly fluid. If oily beads appear, stop. Ça se rattrape: whisk 1 teaspoon of cold water in a clean saucepan, then incorporate the broken sauce off the heat, one spoonful at a time.

5. 5

   Sauce and glaze

   Heat the broiler and place its rack 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) from the element. Taste the sauce, correcting the salt and white pepper only if needed, then spoon it generously over the sole. Broil for 20 to 40 seconds, watching without turning away, until the sauce clings in a taut glossy veil with the faintest butter-gold colour. Do not wait for a crust; excessive heat will split the sauce and toughen the fish.

6. 6

   Fry the julienne

   Season the chilled sole julienne with the remaining salt and white pepper, dredge it lightly in the flour, and shake away every loose speck. Heat the clarified butter in a wide skillet until it shimmers, then toss in the strips in one uncrowded layer. Cook for 60 to 90 seconds, turning once, until the edges are crisp and pale gold. If the strips soften or clump, lift them out, let the butter regain its heat, and return them in a smaller batch.

7. 7

   Garnish and serve

   Set a small, loose heap of crisp sole julienne at each side of the platter, keeping it above the sauce so it retains its bite. Carry the platter straight to the table while the velouté still gleams and the garnish is crisp. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a dry brut Champagne that tastes lively and clean. It needn't be costly, because careful reduction matters more than the label; any fine white wine can stand in honestly, but the dish then takes that wine's name.
• •Use a proper fish velouté made from fish stock and roux, not cream thickened at the last moment. Velouté provides the sauce's body, while reduction and cold butter provide concentration and gloss. C'est la même grammaire.
• •Dover sole has the firmness and fine grain this treatment asks for. If it is unavailable, lemon sole or small flounder can stand in, though they are more delicate and should be checked a minute earlier.
• •The julienne waits for no guest. Have everyone seated before it meets the clarified butter, because its crisp edge is the trick and holding it under a cover defeats the whole arrangement.
• •Serve with pommes vapeur or plainly buttered spinach, neither of which competes with the sauce. Pour the same Champagne at the table if the bottle permits.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the fish velouté up to 2 days ahead, cool it promptly, and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Warm it gently before measuring so it incorporates smoothly into the reduction.
• •Clarified butter can be prepared several days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Melt it before frying the julienne.
• •The sole can be skinned, portioned, and cut into julienne up to 4 hours ahead. Keep it covered and cold, but season and dredge the julienne only at the last moment.
• •Do not complete the sauce or fry the garnish ahead. The montée au beurre loses its fine emulsion when held too hot, and the julienne loses its crispness while waiting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 265g)