Dining and Cooking
Original Collections

Fillets of Sole With Cucumber Beurre Blanc

Ingredients

The scallop mousse:

  • ¾ pound sea scallops
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ cup heavy cream

The beurre blanc:

  • 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallots
  • 3 sticks unsalted butter
  • White pepper to taste
  • Salt to taste if desired

The fillets of sole:

  • 1 medium onion pierced with a clove
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 rib celery, cut in half
  • 2 sprigs parsley
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • 8 fillets of gray sole
  • 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • ½ cup cream
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

      1181 calories; 100 grams fat; 60 grams saturated fat; 2 grams trans fat; 26 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 54 grams protein; 438 milligrams cholesterol; 1926 milligrams sodium

      • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

4 servings

Preparation

The scallop mousse:

  1. Place the scallops in a food processor or blender, add salt and pepper, and puree as you slowly pour in the cream. Every once in a while stop the machine, and scrape down the sides of the work bowl. Puree until the mixture is firm enough to form small balls. Place mixture in a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

The beurre blanc:

  1. Place vinegar, wine and shallots in a saucepan, and reduce over medium-high heat by three-quarters. Turn down heat to low (or place sauce in the top of a double boiler), and drop in pats of butter, one at a time, while whisking vigorously. As soon as one pat melts, add the next. Continue until all butter is whisked. Taste for seasoning. Remove sauce from heat and maintain in a bain-marie.

The fillets of sole:

  1. Fill a deep pot, a 4-quart size or larger, with water. Add the onion, bay leaf, celery, parsley, thyme and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
  2. While the court bouillon is simmering, prepare the sole. Lay the sole fillets on a flat surface, darker side up, and place a ball of scallop mousse (roughly a heaping tablespoon) on top of each. Roll the fillets around the mousse, and secure them with toothpicks.
  3. Poach the fish in the court bouillon for 12 to 15 minutes depending on thickness of fillets (the fillets float to the surface when they are done).
  4. While fish is poaching, saute the cucumbers in the butter until they are soft, about 7 minutes. Add cream, and reduce liquid by half. Pour mixture into a blender, and add the beurre blanc. Blend well. Taste for seasonings.
  5. Remove fish from the poacher. Drain well before placing on warm plates, allowing 2 fillets per person. Pour sauce over.

1 hour

Dining and Cooking