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Fillets Of Sole With White Wine Sauce
(Filets de Soles a la Parisienne, Gratines)
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| What You Need: |
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2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots or scallions
3 pounds gray, lemon, or petrale sole or flounder fillets, skinned and cut into serving pieces all of the same size
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup dry white wine
Water
SAUCE PARISIENNE
4 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons flour
¾ cup milk
2 egg yolks
¼ to ½ cup heavy cream
few drops of lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
White pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons grated, imported Swiss cheese
2 teaspoons butter, cut in tiny pieces
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom of a shallow, flameproof baking-and-serving dish large enough to hold the fillets in one layer. Sprinkle the shallots over the bottom of the dish, lay the fillets over them, side by side, folding them in half if the fillets are less than ¼ inch thick.
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2. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the wine and enough water to come almost to the top of the fish (about ½ to ¾ cup). Bring to a slow simmer on top of the stove, cover the dish with a sheet of buttered wax paper, and then poach on the middle shelf of the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fillets are just firm when pressed lightly with a finger.
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3. Remove the baking dish from the oven and set aside the wax paper. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F. With a bulb baster, draw up all the liquid from the baking dish and strain into a 1½-to 2-quart enameled or stainless-steel saucepan. Recover the baking dish with the wax paper and set aside. Boil the poaching liquid over high heat until it has reduced to 1 cup.
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4. SAUCE PARISIENNE: In a 2- to 3-quart enameled or stainless-steel saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, lift the pan from the heat and stir in the flour. Return to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or two.
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5. Do not let this raux brown. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the reduced poaching liquid and the milk, whisking constantly. Then return to high heat and cook, stirring the sauce with a whisk.
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6. When it thickens and comes to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer slowly for 1 minute. Mix the egg yolks and ¼ cup cream together in a small bowl, and stir into it 2 tablespoons of the hot sauce. Add 2 more tablespoons of sauce, then whisk the now-heated egg-yolk-and-cream mixture back into the remaining sauce in the pan.
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7. Over moderate heat, bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly, and boil for 30 seconds. Remove it from the heat and season it with lemon juice, salt and a little white pepper. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the whisk lightly; if it is too thick, thin it with some or all of the remaining cream.
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8. With a bulb baster, draw up any juices that have accumulated in the baking dish. Spread sauce under the fillets, lifting them gently with a spatula, then mask the tops of the fillets with the remaining sauce.
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9. Sprinkle on the grated cheese and dot the top with 2 teaspoons of butter. Bake in the top third of the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles, then slide the baking dish under the broiler for 30 seconds, or until it is lightly browned. Serve at once.
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