Turban de Filets de Soles à la Villaret

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8-inch (20 cm), 4-cup (1 L) Savarin-mould or plain oven-safe ring mould
• •Food processor with metal blade
• •Deep roasting pan for the bain-marie
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Moistened meat pounder or small flat-bottomed saucepan
• •Sturdy kitchen shears

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the mousseline gear

   Put the food processor bowl and blade in the freezer for twenty minutes. Keep the lobster meat and cream in the cold while you work, and reserve two tablespoons of the measured cream for testing and rescue. Chop the lobster shells into manageable pieces with sturdy kitchen shears. Cold is not tidiness here; it keeps the butterfat in the cream emulsified with the lobster proteins.

2. 2

   Press the lobster butter

   Melt the four tablespoons of butter for the lobster butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the chopped shells and cook for eight to ten minutes, pressing and turning them until they are coral-red and the butter smells distinctly of lobster. Do not let the butter brown. Crush the shells firmly with a wooden spoon, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve and press until you have about three tablespoons of clear orange butter. Discard the shells and reserve the lobster butter.

3. 3

   Build the Béchamel

   Melt the three tablespoons of roux butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, and cook gently for two minutes without allowing it to colour. Whisk in two cups of the milk a little at a time, making each addition smooth before adding the next. Bring to a bare simmer and cook for eight minutes, stirring along the pan floor, until the Béchamel coats a spoon without tasting floury. Season with one-half teaspoon of the salt, half the white pepper, and the nutmeg. If lumps appear, take the pan off the heat and whisk firmly; strain it if necessary. Press parchment against the surface and hold the sauce aside. The lobster butter goes in near service, not now.

4. 4

   Line the Savarin-mould

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and bring a kettle of water almost to the boil. Flatten each sole fillet gently between sheets of parchment with a moistened meat pounder or the base of a small saucepan, aiming for an even thickness of about one-eighth inch. Trim the long edges straight and season the fillets with one-quarter teaspoon of the salt. Butter an 8-inch (20 cm), 4-cup (1 L) Savarin-mould liberally with two tablespoons of the softened butter. Lay the fillets aslant around it, narrow ends hanging over the inner edge and wider ends over the outer edge, overlapping them slightly. Slip a thin truffle slice between each fillet and reserve the remaining truffle for the centre. Refrigerate the lined mould.

5. 5

   Work the lobster mousseline

   Put the cold lobster meat, the remaining one-half teaspoon salt, and the remaining white pepper in the chilled processor. Pulse until the meat becomes a fine, tacky paste, scraping the bowl once. Add the egg white and pulse only until absorbed. With the motor running in short bursts, add all but the reserved two tablespoons of cold cream in a thin stream. Stop as soon as the mousseline is smooth. Poach a teaspoonful in barely trembling water for two minutes; it should hold together and feel tender. If it is firm, pulse in the remaining cream one spoonful at a time. If the mixture turns glossy, loose, or greasy, stop immediately and set the processor bowl over ice for ten minutes, then pulse in one tablespoon of the reserved cream. Ça se rattrape. A warm mousseline cannot be bullied smooth.

6. 6

   Fill and poach

   Spoon the lobster mousseline into the lined mould, pressing it carefully against the sole so no air pockets remain. Tap the mould gently several times on a folded kitchen towel to settle the filling, then fold the overhanging ends of the fillets across it. Set the mould in a deep roasting pan and pour in the hot water to reach halfway up its sides, making a bain-marie, or hot-water bath. Poach in the oven for twenty-eight to thirty-five minutes, until the centre reaches 145°F (63°C) and springs back lightly. The water should quiver, never boil. If it begins bubbling hard, add a little cool water to the bath and lower the oven by 25°F (15°C); violent heat squeezes liquid from the mousseline and toughens the sole.

7. 7

   Prepare the centre

   While the turban poaches, cook the garnish. If using soft cod roe or milt, lower the intact sacs into barely simmering salted water and poach for eight to ten minutes, until opaque and firm enough to slice; drain and cut into small medallions. If using scallops, poach them in barely simmering water for two to three minutes, until just opaque, then drain. Poach the shrimp in the same gentle fashion for one to two minutes, until curled and opaque. Melt the garnish butter in a skillet and cook the mushrooms for five minutes, until tender and lightly golden. Keep everything warm, not boiling.

8. 8

   Finish the lobster Béchamel

   Warm the Béchamel gently, whisking in enough of the reserved milk to restore a soft coating consistency. Take it off the heat and whisk in the lobster butter a spoonful at a time, keeping the sauce glossy and emulsified. If it looks oily around the edge, stop adding butter and whisk in one tablespoon of cold reserved milk before continuing. Fold about three-quarters cup of the lobster Béchamel through the shrimp, mushrooms, poached milt or scallops, and reserved truffle slices. Hold the remaining sauce in a warm sauceboat.

9. 9

   Drain and unmould

   Lift the cooked turban from the bain-marie and let it stand for five minutes. Invert it onto a warm serving platter but leave the mould in place for two minutes so the released cooking liquid can drain. Tilt the mould slightly and blot away that liquid, then lift the mould straight up. If the fish clings, wrap the mould in a hot damp towel for ten seconds and try again; do not dig around the edge with a knife. Melt the remaining tablespoon of softened butter and brush it lightly over the sole, glazing the surface and sweeping away the pale froth left by its poached albumen.

10. 10

    Fill and serve

    Spoon the bound shrimp, mushroom, milt or scallop, and truffle garnish generously into the centre of the turban. Bring it to the table at once with the remaining lobster Béchamel in its sauceboat. Cut between the overlapping fillets so each serving receives sole, truffle, mousseline, and centre garnish. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The mould matters more than ornament. Use a plain 8-inch (20 cm), 4-cup (1 L) metal Savarin-mould or oven-safe ring mould; deep decorative grooves trap the sole and make unmoulding needlessly anxious.
• •Ask the fishmonger for thin, skinless Dover sole fillets of similar length. Lemon sole or thin flounder can line the crown when Dover sole is unavailable, but the flesh is softer, so flatten it lightly and handle it once.
• •A good jarred whole black truffle is the classical pantry's honest answer outside the fresh season. Drain it, slice it very thinly, and keep the pieces broad enough to show between the sole fillets.
• •Fresh soft cod roe preserves the source dish's poached milt. When it cannot be bought, small dry sea scallops supply the same tender marine contrast, though their sweetness is different. Say what changed, then cook them gently.
• •Serve with a mineral white Burgundy, such as Chablis, or a restrained blanc de blancs Champagne. The wine needs freshness for the cream and enough composure to leave the truffle alone.
• •The cooked turban is best the moment it is unmoulded. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within one day; reheating firms the mousseline, so serve any remainder cool with a little gently loosened sauce.

Advance Preparation

• •The lobster butter and plain Béchamel can be prepared one day ahead and chilled separately. Reheat the Béchamel gently with a little reserved milk, then whisk in the lobster butter only near service.
• •The sole can be flattened and trimmed, and the truffle sliced, up to six hours ahead. Cover them separately and keep them very cold.
• •The lined and filled turban can wait in the refrigerator for up to two hours before poaching. Add about five minutes to the oven time if it goes into the bain-marie directly from the cold.
• •Cook the shrimp, mushrooms, and milt or scallops up to one hour ahead, then warm them gently in the finished lobster Béchamel while the turban rests.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 450g)