1. Put
the grapes and wine in a pan and simmer until the grapes are
lightly cooked, about l minute. (Take care not to overcook them
as they will burst.) Lift them out with a draining spoon and set
them aside. Add stock to the pan and boil until the liquid is
reduced by half.
2.
Meanwhile butter a heavy frying pan and sprinkle it with the
shallots. Wash the sole fillets, dry them on paper towels fold
them in three with the ends tucked under, skinned side inwards.
Set them in the pan.
3.
Pour over the reduced wine and stock and cover with a round of
parchment paper. Add the lid and bring the pan to a boil. Poach
the fish until it is starting to flake when tested with a fork
but is still very firm in the center, 2 to 3 minutes – it will
be cooked further in the sauce. Let cool slightly, then transfer
the fillets to a plate with a draining spoon. Boil to reduce the
cooking liquid to about a cup/250 ml/250 ml/8 fl oz.
4. For
the velouté sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the
flour and cook until foaming. Strain in the cooking liquid and
bring the sauce to a boil, whisking constantly until it
thickens. Simmer it 1 to 2 minutes – it will generously coat a
spoon. For the liaison: Mix the egg yolks and cream in a small
bowl and stir in some of the hot sauce. Add this mixture to the
remaining sauce and reheat it, stirring, until it thickens
slightly. Do not let it boil or it will curdle. Take it from the
heat and stir in the grapes and any liquid, together with any
liquid which has leaked from the fish. Taste the sauce and
adjust the seasoning.
5. Dry
the sole fillets on paper towels and set them in individual
heatproof gratin dishes or one large dish. Coat them completely
with sauce. The sole can be prepared ahead and kept a few hours
in the refrigerator, though fish is always at its best freshly
cooked.
6.
Just before serving, heat the broiler and brown the fish until
the sauce is glazed. If reheating, this should be done in a hot
oven so the fish warms through at the same time.
What Wine:
To Cook and To Drink: Nothing works so
well with sole V³ronique -- for cooking as well as
drinking -- as a fine riesling. Germany, of course, provides the
prototype for this elegant white but to my taste those from
France's Alsace region are preferable with food as they are
drier on the palate. Another good but less familiar riesling
source is Canada's Ontario province.
This Recipe of the Month
selection comes from Anne Willan's newest release: Anne
Willan Cooking With Wine (2001) published by Harry N.
Abrams, Inc. in association with COPIA: American Center for
Wine, Food, and the Arts.
