Food Blogs
Dover Sole Ballotine A La Polonaise Recipe
HERE AGAIN we are inspired to explore a classic French recipe and add our own twist. The concept of cauliflower à la Polonaise, a simple recipe involving a sprinkle of hard-boiled eggs, is reinvented as the accompaniment for an elegant sole cylinder stuffed with a delicate fish mousse and topped with a caper and Marcona almond gremolata, a chopped herb condiment. The saltiness of the capers nicely offsets the subtlety of the fish.
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Ingredients
Cauliflower Puree and Gratin
- 1 head cauliflower about 1½ pounds
- 2 cups Milk
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- Tabasco sauce
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons Lemon juice
- 2 cups Warm Melted Butter 4 sticks
Caper-Almond Gremolata
- 2 tablespoons tiny cauliflower florets reserved from above
- 2 tablespoons chopped Marcona almonds
- 2 tablespoons chopped capers
- 1 tablespoon brunoised shallots
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 1 hard-boiled egg peeled
Potato Tempura
Glazed Romanesco
- Salt
- 1 head romanesco about 1½ pounds
- 2 tablespoons butter
- cup ¼Chicken Stock
- Freshly ground white pepper
To Finish
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
Ingredients
Cauliflower Puree and Gratin
Caper-Almond Gremolata
Potato Tempura
Glazed Romanesco
To Finish
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Instructions
For the Dover Sole
- Chill the bowl and blade of a food processor. Trim the ends and sides of 8 sole fillets to square them off and lightly score the skin side of each fillet (this will help prevent them from curling while cooking). Dice the trim and remaining 4 fillets and transfer to the chilled food processor with the egg, 1¼ teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon piment d’Espelette, and pulse until well combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and with the machine running, stream in the heavy cream to make a smooth mousse. Pass the mousse through a fine-meshed drum sieve, transfer to a piping bag with a ½-inch-diameter tip, and reserve, chilled.
- Season the scored sides of the sole fillets lightly with salt, pepper, and piment d’Espelette. Horizontally lay 1 fillet, seasoned side up, on a 12-inch sheet of plastic wrap. Pipe a line of mousse across the top. Lay a second fillet, seasoned side down, on top, with its thicker end meeting the bottom fillet’s thinner end. Tightly roll the fish in the plastic to form a cylinder and tie off the ends. Repeat with the remaining fish to make 4 rolls; reserve, chilled.
For the Cauliflower Puree and Gratin
- Cut at least eight 1-inch cubes from the cauliflower head so that the cubes can stand with the florets facing upward. Preheat a steam oven or stovetop steamer, add the cubes, and steam for 6 to 8 minutes, until easily pierced with a cake tester. Reserve, chilled.
- Trim 2 tablespoons tiny cauliflower florets from the remaining cauliflower and reserve for the gremolata. Chop the rest of the cauliflower with the stem into small dice and transfer to a small saucepan. Add the milk and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is very tender. With a slotted spoon, scoop the cauliflower into a blender and puree with just enough of its cooking liquid to form a thick puree. Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce and pass through a fine-meshed sieve; reserve, chilled.
- Up to 1 hour before serving, season the cauliflower cubes with salt and pepper and stand upright on a foil-lined baking sheet. In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the yolks, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons water. Bring a small pot of water to a simmer and place the bowl on top. Heat the mixture, whisking continuously, until thickened and pale but not curdled (155°F). Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the 2 cups warm melted butter until well emulsified, to make a hollandaise sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep in a warm place, covered.
For the Caper-Almond Gremolata
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients except the egg and season with salt and pepper. Separate the egg yolk from the white, press both through a fine-meshed drum sieve, and reserve, chilled.
For the Potato Tempura
- Melt the clarified butter in a medium saucepan. With a mandoline, slice the potato lengthwise into ⅛-inch slices. Cut at least eight 1-inch triangles from the slices. Season the triangles with salt and pepper and submerge them in the butter. Cook at just below a simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Strain the potatoes onto a paper towel–lined plate and pat dry. When ready to serve, fill one-third of a medium saucepan with canola oil and heat to 350°F. Individually coat the potatoes in the tempura batter and fry until golden brown (you may need to do this in batches). Transfer to a paper towel–lined tray and sprinkle with salt.
For the Glazed Romanesco
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and place a bowl of ice water on the side. Cut at least twelve 1-inch-tall florets from the romanesco, trimming the stems so that they can stand. Trim 2 tablespoons of ¼-inch florets from the remaining romanesco. Boil the large florets for 3 minutes, or until tender, then chill in the ice water; strain and pat dry. Boil the ¼-inch florets for 15 seconds, then chill in the ice water; strain and pat dry. When ready to serve, in a small sauté pan, melt the butter with the chicken stock. Add the large romanesco florets and cook, stirring, until heated through and glazed; toss in the ¼-inch florets. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed and keep warm.
To Finish
- Preheat the broiler. Using an immersion circulator, preheat a water bath to 145°F. Alternately, preheat a large saucepan filled halfway with water to 145°F, and maintain the temperature as best as possible using a stem thermometer. Transfer the cauliflower puree to a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir to heat through. Spoon the hollandaise sauce onto the cubed cauliflower to coat and broil until the sauce is browned.
- Submerge the fish in the prepared water bath and cook for 9 minutes, or until just cooked (you can check with a cake tester or stem thermometer; it should reach 140°F internally). Remove the fish, trim the ends, remove from the plastic, season with salt and pepper, and brush with the melted butter. Evenly divide the gremolata, a sprinkle of egg, and a few tiny romanesco florets into a neat layer on top of each fish portion.
- For each serving, spread a spoonful of cauliflower puree in a rectangular shape the length of the fish onto the bottom of a warm dinner plate. Place the fish on top. Alternate 3 glazed romanesco, 2 cauliflower gratin cubes, and 2 pieces of potato tempura in a line parallel to the fish.