Filets de Soles New-burg

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) lidded sauté pan
• •2-quart (2-liter) heavy saucepan
• •Oval heatproof serving platter
• •Fish spatula or wide slotted spatula
• •Parchment paper
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose the New-burg

   For the coral-rich Marsala version described here, set the finished Homard à la New-burg (with raw lobster) (No. 948) beside the stove. The source also permits Homard à la New-burg (with the lobster cooked) (No. 949); use that finished component when starting with cooked lobster, but respect its Madeira and yolk liaison by keeping it below a simmer. Choose one preparation and keep its method whole. Combining the two would blur the sauce rather than improve it.

2. 2

   Prepare gentle holding

   Heat the oven to 170°F (75°C), place the empty oval platter inside for 10 minutes, then switch the oven off. Butter the platter and the shallow sauté pan with half the softened butter each. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cool fumet for adjusting the sauce; the remaining 2 cups are for poaching. This warm, quiet arrangement replaces the brigade's hot cupboard. It holds the elements briefly without cooking them twice.

3. 3

   Portion the lobster

   Lift the lobster meat from its finished New-burg sauce with a slotted spoon. Cut the tail crosswise into 8 neat medallions, one for every sole fillet, and hold them covered with a spoonful of sauce in the warm oven for no more than 10 minutes. Cut the claw, knuckle, and remaining body meat into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice. Keep the dice separate until the sauce is stable and ready for them.

4. 4

   Fold the sole

   Dry the sole fillets carefully, then season both sides with the salt and white pepper. Fold each fillet in half, or into thirds if it is especially long, with the skinned side enclosed and the presentation side outward. Aim for 8 parcels of equal thickness so they finish together. Arrange them seam-side down in one snug layer in the buttered sauté pan.

5. 5

   Poach in fumet

   Bring the 2 cups of fumet just to a simmer, then pour it around the folded fillets; it should reach roughly halfway up their sides. Cover the surface with parchment and set the lid slightly ajar. Hold the liquid at the faintest tremble for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness, until the fish is opaque, gives under gentle pressure, and reaches 140 to 145°F (60 to 63°C) at its centre. Lift each fillet out with a fish spatula, let it drain for a moment, and arrange it on the warm platter.

   If the fumet begins to boil, pull the pan off the heat at once. Sole is thin and forgives very little, but a brief retreat from the heat saves it. Ça se rattrape.
6. 6

   Finish the lobster sauce

   Warm the chosen New-burg sauce alone in the small saucepan over low heat, stirring gently, until it coats the back of a spoon and feels hot but never boils. If it is too thick, loosen it teaspoon by teaspoon with the reserved fumet. If oily beads appear at the edge, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon of cool fumet until the sauce gathers again. Ça se rattrape. Once smooth, fold in the diced lobster and warm it for 1 to 2 minutes, turning gently so the pieces remain distinct. A sauce made from Homard à la New-burg (with the lobster cooked) (No. 949) needs particular care because its liaison will grain if overheated; Homard à la New-burg (with raw lobster) (No. 948) also wants restraint so its coral and butter remain bound.

7. 7

   Crown and coat

   Arrange the folded sole in an oval, with the pieces slightly overlapping but not piled. Lay one warm lobster-tail medallion on every fillet. Spoon the lobster sauce and its dice over the fish, coating each parcel generously while leaving the red tail slices visible. Carry the platter straight to the table. This dish waits for nobody. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use Homard à la New-burg (with raw lobster) (No. 948) for the requested Marsala, cream, and coral profile. Homard à la New-burg (with the lobster cooked) (No. 949) is the source's legitimate alternative, not a shortcut, and its Madeira and liaison give a paler, softer sauce.
• •Ask for fillets from two small Dover soles if the market has them. Lemon sole, grey sole, or another delicate flatfish of similar thickness can stand in honestly; thick halibut and cod cannot, because they lose the folded shape and brief poach that define the dish.
• •The fumet should taste clean and concentrated, not aggressively salty. If using a purchased concentrate, dilute it before the fish enters; reducing an already salty fumet around delicate sole leaves nowhere to hide.
• •A small glass of Champagne or a firm, dry white Burgundy has enough freshness for the cream and enough body for lobster. Keep the accompaniment quiet, such as buttered spinach or plain rice, because the sauce has already said plenty.
• •Serve immediately. Sole continues cooking on a hot platter, and lobster sauce thickens as it stands. Leftovers can be chilled promptly and kept for one day, but reheating will never return the fish to its first tenderness.

Advance Preparation

• •The selected linked component, Homard à la New-burg (with raw lobster) (No. 948) or Homard à la New-burg (with the lobster cooked) (No. 949), may be prepared up to 4 hours ahead. Separate the meat from the sauce, cool both promptly, cover, and refrigerate; reheat the sauce gently before adding the diced meat.
• •The sole fillets may be folded and arranged in the buttered pan up to 2 hours ahead. Cover them closely and refrigerate, then let the pan stand at room temperature for 10 minutes while the fumet warms.
• •Do not assemble the platter ahead. Poaching the sole, warming the lobster dice, and coating the fish belong in the final 15 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 320g)