Sole au Chambertin

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large shallow ovenproof dish, about 13 by 18 inches (33 by 46 cm), or two smaller dishes
• •Broiler-safe oval serving platter
• •Small 1-quart (1-liter) saucepan
• •12-inch (30-cm) heavy skillet
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Two wide fish spatulas
• •Wire rack set over a tray
• •Parchment paper

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the sole

   Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Fill a broiler-safe oval platter with hot water so it warms while you work. Pat the whole soles dry and season them on both sides with 1 teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Cut the extra fillets julienne-fashion into match-shaped strips about ⅛ inch (3 mm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) long; keep them cold and uncovered so their surfaces stay dry. Do not season or dredge the strips yet, because salt draws out moisture and flour left waiting turns pasty.

2. 2

   Poach in Chambertin

   Coat a large shallow ovenproof dish with the softened butter and lay in the soles without overlap. Pour the Chambertin around them, cover closely with a sheet of parchment, and poach in the oven for 12 to 16 minutes. The wine should barely tremble at the edges; the fish is ready when its flesh is opaque, lifts cleanly beside the backbone, and reaches 145°F (63°C) at the thickest point. Drain and dry the warmed platter, lift the soles onto it with two wide spatulas, and cover loosely with buttered parchment. Pour every drop of the cooking liquor through a fine sieve into a small saucepan.

   If the soles cannot lie flat in one dish, divide them and the wine between two dishes. Even poaching matters more than owning an enormous pan.
3. 3

   Reduce the liquor

   Bring the cooking liquor to a brisk simmer in the smallest saucepan that holds it comfortably. Reduce it from about 1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons (385 ml) to a measured ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (190 ml), skimming away any grey protein that gathers at the surface. Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper and the 6 drops of lemon juice. Judge this by volume, not minutes. If you go below the mark, add enough hot water to return the liquor to 190 ml; ça se rattrape. Pressing on with overreduced wine gives a harsh, salty sauce.

4. 4

   Thicken, then mount

   Lower the heat until the reduction stops bubbling. Whisk in the Manied Butter (No. 151), a small piece at a time, waiting for each piece to disappear before adding the next. Hold the sauce just below a simmer for 2 minutes, whisking steadily; it should thicken without boiling. The finish is monter au beurre (mounting with butter): take the pan completely off the heat and whisk in the cold butter one cube at a time until the sauce nappes, or coats, the back of a spoon with a smooth gloss. If it turns greasy or grainy, stop adding butter. Ça se rattrape: put 1 teaspoon of cold water in a clean warm saucepan, whisk in a spoonful of the broken sauce until smooth, then rebuild the rest spoonful by spoonful. Taste and adjust the salt only after the butter is in.

5. 5

   Fry the julienne

   Heat the broiler to high. Set the finished sauce off the heat and cover it. Season the sole strips with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, dredge them lightly in the flour, and toss them in a sieve to shed every loose speck. Heat the clarified butter in a wide skillet to about 350°F (175°C), then fry the strips in one uncrowded layer, working in two batches if necessary. Turn them once and lift them out after 60 to 90 seconds, when butter-gold at the edges and crisp enough to hold their shape. Drain on a wire rack, not a heap of paper where they would soften.

6. 6

   Glaze and serve

   Whisk the sauce once more. If it has tightened while the julienne fried, loosen it with a teaspoon of warm water until it pours in a thick ribbon. Spoon it evenly over the soles and place the platter about 6 inches (15 cm) beneath the hot broiler for 20 to 40 seconds, only until the glaze shines and a few tiny bubbles appear around the edges. Do not chase browning; a long glaze breaks the butter and dries the fish. Arrange the crisp julienne in small generous heaps along both long sides of the platter and serve immediately. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask the fishmonger to skin both sides of the soles, remove the heads and fins, and leave the fish on the bone. The bone protects the flesh during poaching and gives you four clean servings from two substantial fish.
• •Chambertin is not decoration in this recipe. Reduction exposes every fault in a wine, so the bottle must be sound. A dry red Burgundy from the Côte de Nuits follows the same technique when Chambertin is beyond the evening's budget, but the honest name then is sole au vin rouge.
• •To portion a whole sole, run a serving spoon down the backbone and lift away the two upper fillets. Remove the backbone in one piece, then serve the lower fillets. Give each portion sauce and some of the crisp julienne.
• •Keep the accompaniments quiet. Pommes vapeur (steamed potatoes) or plainly wilted spinach will catch the sauce without competing with the Chambertin.
• •Sole au Chambertin does not improve after chilling. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat them by the next day, rewarmed very gently under cover; the julienne will not recover its first crispness.

Advance Preparation

• •Up to 4 hours ahead, have the soles cleaned, cut the garnish fillets julienne-fashion, and keep everything cold. Lay the strips in a single layer so their surfaces remain dry, but do not season or flour them.
• •Measure the wine, cube the finishing butter, set out the sauce pan, and warm the serving platter before cooking begins. Prepare the Manied Butter (No. 151) immediately before dishing, as its referenced preparation directs.
• •The mounted sauce, glazed sole, and fried julienne must be finished together. Have guests seated and accompaniments ready before the sole enters the wine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 220g)