Sole Marguery

Ingredients

• 1.fish bones and heads, for stock
• 2.1 litre water, for stock
• 3.5 millilitre salt, for stock
• 4.1 onion, sliced; for stock
• 5.1 carrot, chopped; for stock
• 6.celery, chopped; a handful; for stock
• 7.parsley, a handful; for stock
• 8.black peppercorns, a few; for stock
• 9.40 gram butter, for velouté sauce
• 10.30 gram flour, for velouté sauce
• 11.250 millilitre fish stock, from above; for velouté sauce
• 12.150 millilitre white wine, for butter sauce
• 13.1 onion, chopped; for butter sauce
• 14.6 black peppercorns, for butter sauce
• 15.1 egg yolk, for butter sauce
• 16.60 gram butter, for butter sauce
• 17.6 sole fillets, filleted
• 18.45 gram butter, for pan
• 19.salt and black pepper
• 20.62 millilitre onion, chopped
• 21.200 gram mushrooms, sliced
• 22.60 millilitre fish stock, reduced; for poaching
• 23.60 millilitre white wine, for poaching
• 24.12 prawns, cleaned
• 25.12 mussels or clams

Method

1. 1.FISH STOCK: Combine bones and heads of fish, water, salt, sliced onion, chopped carrot, celery, parsley and peppercorns. Bring to the boil and simmer about an hour. Strain and reduce to half.
2. 2.VELOUTÉ SAUCE: Melt 40 g butter and add 30 g flour. Cook a few minutes. Remove from heat and blend in 250 ml fish stock. Return to heat and bring to boil. Simmer a few minutes, stirring all the while. Cover with grease waxwrap and set aside.
3. 3.BUTTER SAUCE: Put 150 ml white wine, the small chopped onion and 6 peppercorns in a small saucepan. Reduce to almost a teaspoonful. Strain. Beat the eggyolk with a small nut of the 60 g butter. Pour over the reduced wine. Put in top of double boiler and gradually beat in the rest of the butter. Add this butter sauce to the velouté sauce. Use to coat the poached soles.
4. 4.MAKING THE DISH: Flatten the 6 sole fillets slightly and gently using a rolling pin or a full bottle. Butter a large pan.
5. 5.Brush fillets with melted butter. Season lightly.
6. 6.Fold fillets, dark skinned side towards inside.
7. 7.Place onions in pan. Put fillets over the onions. Cover with the mushrooms. Pour over the reduced stock and the wine.
8. 8.Cover with buttered waxed paper and poach in 375°F (190°C) oven for about 8–10 minutes.
9. 9.Boil the prawns in the remaining stock for a few minutes. Remove from stock, peel and set aside. Heat mussels in the stock and set aside.
10. 10.Take soles out of poaching liquid. Drain and set on a nice platter.
11. 11.Strain the poaching liquid and arrange the onions and mushrooms over the soles.
12. 12.Arrange prawns and mussels between the fillets. Mask with the sauce.

Notes

• The soles, prawns and mussels can be prepared earlier on and must just be reheated.
• Most of the sauce can also be made in advance.
• Waxwrap = South African term for cling film / plastic wrap.
• See also: Sybil's Sauce for Sole Marguery — a simpler, blander alternative sauce for this dish.
• Sole Marguery is a classic French restaurant dish. This is a home interpretation.