Dover Sole Fillets with Red Wine Sauce

From 'Fish & Shellfish' by James Peterson
Dover Sole Fillets with Red Wine Sauce
(William Morrow, 1996)

• Four 3/4- to 1 pound whole Dover sole, filleted and skin removed, heads and bones reserved
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bouquet garni:
  • 3 fresh thyme springs or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • one small bunch parsley
  • one bay leaf
  • tie ingredients together with string or, if using dried thyme, tie in cheese cloth
• 1 bottle of red wine
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon good-quality red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons cognac or to taste (optional)
• Salt and pepper

Makes 4 main-course servings.

To prepare the red wine fish broth: If the fishmonger hasn't already done it, remove the gills from the fish heads with scissors. Soak the fish bones and heads in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse the bones and heads and place them in a 4-quart pot with the onion, bouquet garni, and red wine. Bring slowly to a simmer and skim off any white foam with a ladle. Simmer gently for 30 minutes. Strain into a clean pot and simmer over medium heat until about 1 cup remains, about 30 minutes. Skim off any froth or scum that floats to the top of the broth.

To prepare the fillets: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange the fillets side by side -- you should have 12 to 16 -- with the attractive bone side up in a gratin dish or baking dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer. Bring the reduced red wine fish broth back to a simmer if it has cooled, and pour enough of it over the fillets to come half way up their sides. Reserve any red wine broth you don't use.

Place the baking dish on the stove over medium heat -- if the baking dish is glass, use a heat distributor -- until the liquid returns to a simmer. Loosely cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, immediately place the dish in the oven, and braise for about 5 minutes until fish is cooked through.

When the fillets are done -- a tiny piece cut into with a fork should pull away easily -- carefully transfer them to hot plates using a long, thin spatula, then pour the remaining liquid in the baking dish into a clean saucepan.

If you have any red wine fish broth left over, combine it with the braising liquid from the fish and boil everything down until about 1/2 cup remains.

Make a beurre manie by kneading the flour and butter into a smooth paste with a fork. Whisk the beurre manie into the simmering braising liquid. Whisk in the parsley, vinegar, and cognac. Simmer for 30 seconds -- you'll see the liquid thicken -- and season with salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce seems too thick, add a tablespoon or more of water to thin it to the consistency you like. Spoon the sauce over the hot fillets and serve immediately.

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William Morrow

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