Filets de Soles Calypso

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch (30 cm) lidded sauté pan
• •8 stainless cannoli forms, about ⅔ inch (17 mm) wide
• •8-inch (20 cm) shallow square pan for the fish jelly
• •1-inch (2.5 cm) round cutter
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Blender or small food processor
• •Serrated tomato peeler or sharp paring knife
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Oval chilled serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Set the fish jelly

   Sprinkle 2½ teaspoons of the gelatin over 3 tablespoons of the cold water and leave it to swell for 5 minutes. Warm 1½ cups of the fish fumet without boiling, then take it off the heat and stir in the softened gelatin until completely dissolved. Season with a small pinch of the measured salt; cold mutes seasoning, so the warm liquid should taste just slightly more pronounced than the finished jelly needs. Pass it through a dampened fine sieve into an 8-inch shallow square pan, skim away surface bubbles, and chill until firm enough to cut, about 3 hours.

   The jelly can only be as clear as its fumet. If bubbles or a skin spoil the surface, warm the jelly just until liquid, strain it again, and reset it. Ça se rattrape.
2. 2

   Poach the milt

   Lay the cleaned milt lobes flat on parchment and use a wet 1-inch cutter to stamp or trim 8 neat roundels about ⅜ inch thick. Warm ½ cup of the fish fumet in a small pan to 160 to 170°F (71 to 77°C), slip in the roundels, and hold them at that gentle temperature until opaque, firm enough to lift, and 145°F (63°C) at the center, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain without pressing, place on a parchment-lined cold plate, cover, and chill.

3. 3

   Form the paupiettes

   Lay each sole fillet between sheets of parchment and gently level the thick end with the flat side of a meat mallet or a small pan. Do not pound it thin; you want an even fillet that can bend without tearing. Season lightly with salt and white pepper. Butter 8 stainless cannoli forms about ⅔ inch wide, then roll one fillet snugly around each form, beginning at the narrow end and overlapping the final edge. Butter a wide sauté pan and stand the paupiettes seam-side down so their own weight keeps them closed.

4. 4

   Poach them white

   Pour 1½ cups of fish fumet and the lemon juice down the side of the pan without washing seasoning from the fish. Cover the paupiettes with buttered parchment and warm the pan slowly until the liquid barely trembles. Poach without boiling until the sole is opaque, still supple, and 145°F (63°C) at its thickest point, about 6 to 8 minutes. If the liquid bubbles, pull the pan from the heat for 30 seconds. If a seam opens, press it back against the form and secure it loosely with a wooden pick until chilled. Ça se rattrape. Rest the paupiettes in the liquid for 5 minutes, then lift them out with the forms still inside and chill for 1 hour before removing the forms.

5. 5

   Hollow the tomatoes

   Cut the stem-end third from each tomato, leaving a cup made from the lower two-thirds. Scoop out the seeds and watery pulp without piercing the walls, then peel the cups carefully with a serrated tomato peeler or sharp paring knife. Choose the best 8, sprinkle their interiors with a little of the remaining salt, and drain them upside down for 20 minutes. A torn cup won't support its paupiette, so use one of the spares and keep the damaged tomato for another meal.

6. 6

   Fold the crayfish mousse

   Reserve the 8 handsomest crayfish tails whole. Finely dice one-third of the remaining meat and keep it cold. Sprinkle the final teaspoon of gelatin over the remaining tablespoon of cold water and leave it for 5 minutes. Warm the remaining ½ cup fish fumet, dissolve the gelatin in it, and let it cool for several minutes. Blend the undiced crayfish meat with the fumet until smooth, pass it through a fine sieve, then stir the bowl over ice until the mixture thickens enough to hold a faint trail. Whip the cream to soft mounds and fold it into the crayfish base with the diced tails, a pinch of salt, and the remaining white pepper. Chill until spoonable, about 45 minutes. If the base sets before the cream goes in, rest the bowl briefly over warm water and stir until supple; if it was too warm and loosened the cream, chill it while folding gently every few minutes. Ça se rattrape.

7. 7

   Build the Calypso

   Twist each cannoli form gently and slide it from the cold paupiette without pulling at the fish. Stand one paupiette upright inside each drained tomato cup. Spoon or pipe the crayfish mousse into the hollow center, allowing it to settle into the tomato and anchor the ring. Lay one cold milt roundel over each filled center, then place a whole crayfish tail on every roundel. Chill the assembled tomatoes for 30 minutes so they hold cleanly.

8. 8

   Cut and arrange

   Turn the firm fish jelly onto a cold board and cut 16 small triangles with a wet knife. Chop the trimmings and remaining jelly by hand into bright, irregular pieces. Arrange the 8 filled tomatoes in a circle on a chilled oval platter, place the jelly triangles around them, and mound the chopped jelly in the center exactly as the formula intends. Bring the platter directly from the cold and serve within 30 minutes. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Dover sole has the suppleness and fine grain this shape wants. Petrale sole is an honest substitute where Dover sole is scarce, but avoid fillets so thin that light passes through them; they tear before they can become paupiettes.
• •Use very clear fish fumet. A cloudy, aggressively flavored packaged stock gives muddy jelly and overwhelms the sole. The home answer is a lightly seasoned fumet made ahead or bought from a fishmonger who prepares it properly.
• •Cooked frozen crayfish tails are the classical pantry's sensible answer when live crayfish aren't available. Thaw them slowly in the cold and blot them dry before making the mousse; excess water weakens both flavor and set.
• •Fish milt, also sold as soft roe, usually requires a call to a serious fishmonger. Cod milt is the most practical choice. If none can be sourced, omit the roundel rather than disguising another ingredient as milt, knowing that this is a deliberate abridgement of the original garnish.
• •The tomatoes must be ripe enough to taste of tomato but firm enough to stand peeled. If the market offers only woolly, collapsing fruit, save this dish for a better tomato; preserved tomatoes cannot do the structural work.
• •Serve with a dry blanc de blancs Champagne or a restrained Chablis. The wine should clear the cream and crayfish from the palate without flattening the quiet sweetness of the sole.

Advance Preparation

• •The fish jelly can be set up to 2 days ahead. Cover it once firm so its surface stays moist and clear, then cut it shortly before arranging the platter.
• •The milt roundels and crayfish mousse can be prepared 1 day ahead and kept separately covered at or below 40°F (4°C). Fold the diced crayfish into the mousse before chilling, as the source requires.
• •Poach the sole and prepare the tomato cups earlier on the day of serving. Keep them separate and cold, then assemble no more than 2 hours before the meal so the tomatoes do not release water into the mousse.
• •Cut the jelly and arrange the platter shortly before serving. Once assembled, keep the dish cold and serve it the same day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 560g)