Trade your Soul for Sole?

Why is it that simple tasting French food is always the most difficult to prepare? For years I wondered why the classic fish dish, Sole Meunière always commanded high prices in restaurants, sometimes higher than filet mignon and always wads of euros more than salmon. It's just a whole fish cooked in brown butter with a squeeze of lemon and some chopped parsley thrown in!

Now I know better.

Just trying to skin sole will teach you why it's so darned pricey. But more than that, the art of cooking it to perfection is just that: ART. I know because I just attempted with three expensive whole fillets that all ended up mushy. Not crispy on the oustide and flake-a-licious on the inside. Not lightly browned and opalescent white. Not nutty brown butter-ish with lemon saliva bursting sauce. And not all together served in one piece, but instead falling apart fish fingers. Bummer.

However, my fourth fillet I got right. And I will share with you my findings with the hopes that you will not waste your time and money as I did mine.

But first a little story on sole and how it took the soul of one of France's most revered cooks, Chef Vatel.

Before the Roi de Soleil's extravagant palace of Versailles was constructed in 1682, the King traveled around the country with his aristocracy. Wherever he went they were required to go too. In this way he kept an eye on his scheming court and also kept them in dept paying for their travel expenses and hosting lavish parties in his honor.

In 1671, the king traveled to Chantilly to meet with his commander, Prince Condé before waging war on Holland. A great feast was planned hosted by the Prince for the King and his court with the aid of his "Master of Cooks", François Vatel.

The first night of feasting, a light supper was provided of turtle soup, creamed chicken fried trout (whatever that is), and roast pheasant. Seventy-five extra guests attended the party. Vatel was horrified that some of the tables at his super did not receive enough pheasant roast. (I think I would have been happy not to receive one of his roast pheasants) Although his staff assured him that he wasn't to blame for the shortage of food and unknown quantity of royal guests, he was humiliated by this blunder.

No doubt his fear of failure was doubled with the failed firework show that was ruined by cloud cover and the desire to prove himself as a master chef in the absence of the King's Chef, the god father to Haute Cuisine, Varenne.

At four o'clock in the morning after what he considered to be a failed first diner, Vatel was still hard at work desperately trying to secure enough food for the next day's gala event, an even more extravagant and opulent menu of anchovies sevigne, melon with Parma ham, lobster quenelles with shrimp sauce, and filet of sole.

He met with a fish monger in the early hours of morning who arrived with an inadequate amount of fish. He asked the purveyor, "Is this all"? and the man replied back to him, "Yes sir" not knowing that Vatel had also ordered more from several seaport towns in France. Vatel waited hoping that more would arrive. Nothing came.

Exhausted from twelve sleepless nights of preparing for Prince Condé's feasts and unable to see a way out of total disgrace, he went to his room and fixed his sword to his door. He ran into it several times. The first two times only wounding himself, the third thrust he pierced his heart. Some say he ran upon it another five times.

Fifteen minutes after his suicide fish poured in to the royal household and assistants came running to find Vatel so that he could distribute it. Too late, Vatel lay dead in a pool of blood.

The dinner went on as planned minus the filet of sole course, and all agreed – the Roi de Soleil included – that his death, although tragic, only proved Vatel's code of honor. Vatel traded his soul for sole.

(Even more tragic none of his recipes survive today with the exception of a famous dessert topping he created called Chantilly cream, a mixture of whipped cream and sugar. Perhaps you've had some on a hot fudge sundae?)

No need to trade your soul for sole. The recipe's on the following page!

Sole Meunière

2 (8 ounces) sole fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 Tablespoons clarified butter
1 cup flour
4 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Lemon slices, for garnish

Instructions
1. Season fillets with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons clarified butter in each 2 large sauté pans on medium high until butter is nut brown. Make sure your pans distribute heat evenly (very important). It is possible to cook the filets in the same pan, but I wouldn't recommend it because they need space.
3. Dredge fillets in flour, shaking off any excess flour. Do this step right before placing fillets in pans. This ensures a crisp crust.
4. Place fillets in hot saute pans and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy. Do not turn fish until it is golden brown and do not move it around too much in the pan or it will not brown. I like to give the saute pan a jolt in order to flip the fish in one piece, but if you're not comfortable with this use the widest spatula possible so that the fish doesn't fall apart.
5. Remove fillets from pans and transfer onto a platter.
6. Dump out old clarified butter from one saute pan and wipe clean with a paper towel removing any pieces of fish. Don't rinse it! Add remaining clarified butter and heat on medium high until golden brown. Take off the heat and add lemon juice and a big three finger pinch of chopped parsley.
7. Place fish on plates and spoon over nut butter lemon sauce.
8. Garnish with lemon slices

Tips
1. The fish can be made ahead of time and reheated in the oven, but the brown crust will get mushy
2. For clarified butter, melt 1-2 sticks on low heat. Then line a strainer or chinois with a paper towel and pour slowly through it. Or just let the milk solids settle to the bottom and skim the oil off the top. Clarified butter is used because it does not burn as easily due to the lack of milk solids.
3. Keeping the bone in the fish will allow for easier turning, but it's not necessary if your fishmonger has already removed it.
4. Play with the heat. Make sure the butter is hot when you add the fish – it should sizzle – but if you feel it's too hot and the fish is burning, then turn it down a little after the initial contact is made.

Comments

[FreshAdriaticFish]

oh, Vatel, I watched the move with Gerard Depardieu so many times... the man is the pure inspiration!
Thanks for great advices
Sanja

[elarael]

What is the name of that movie?

[Kalyn]

Mmmmm. One of my very favorite dishes. When I was a waitress in a fancy French restaurant, we would filet it at the table for the guests.

[Ellen]

I have made Sole Meuniere a few times when we stay in a Paris appartment. I make the whole sole and have removed the skin myself. One time, though, I bought a whole sole and the fishmonger removed the skin using some kind of a machine. I was very surprised and greatful, since it is a difficult thing to do yourself. When I do it myself, I place the tail for a second in boiling water and then start moving the skin with my knife, then I use a towel to grab the loose pieace of skin and pull it off the body. I am sure that with all the great experience you have you know that technique, or perhaps you do something different. Anyway, sole on the bone is my husbands very favorite food in France and he eats it whenever he finds it on the menu. We both like to filet the whole sole ourselves and my husband memorized "Je voudrais enlever les arrets moi-meme." This, of course, pleases french waiters that an American would want to bother fileting his own fish. I don't know where the accents marks are located, so please excuse the spelling. I very much enjoy your blog.

[David]

have you seen those machines the fish guys have where they feed the sole in, and slips between two metal rollers, and the skins slide right off? Maybe you can pick one up at the BHV!

[Ms. Glaze]

Fresh Adriatic Fish– Yes it is a good movie. I've seen it a bunch of times too. Interesting to see Uma Thurman paired together with Gerard D.

Elarael – I believe the film is just titled, "Vatel"

Kalyn– I love it when restaurants filet it tableside. Such a lost art. We do that at Guy Savoy too, but not with sole. With St. Pierre and other large fish.

Ellen– You're a champ for skinning it yourself. My method is pretty much the same as yours. The water is really the trick that helps. The skin is very tough. The fresher it is, the harder to get off the skin. But so worth the effort.

David– Wait what!?!?! They have machines for that? I'm going to BHV! Thanks for the tip. Here I was cursing Poseiden himself while trying to rip the skin off.

[Don]

Great blog. I'm a photog. and I'm sure I have some food pr0n around here somewhere. Just ask if you'd like some.

[joanne]

My knife skills are terrible. I need to take classes, so on that note, I rather have sole at a very good restaurant than at home. I have made Chinese style sole by dredging it in cornstarch and pan frying it, served with a cooked sauce of soy sauce, fish sauce, oil, slivered ginger and green onions. But for whatever reason my family does not care for fried fish, and prefer it steamed with the sauce instead.

[Parisbreakfasts]

I LOVED the movie, VATEL and I love the chateau it took place at- Vaux Le Vicomte - the most FAB chateau in France.
WAIT!
THAT is where the Grand soiree took place. And the king was so jealous he put the owner, Fouquet in jail for years.
And then he stole his architect and also LeNotre, his fab gardener to do his Versaille palace and make it grander.
But Vaux le Vicomte is the HEAVEN ON EARTH!
The film takes place there too...
More here-
http://www.vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/histoire-chateau-intro.php

[parisbreakfasts]

PS
They have grand candle-lit suppers there in Spring and Summer..
Maybe they serve that sole of yours? Watch here-
http://www.vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/receptions-seminaires-chateau.php
OH YUM!

[parisbreakfasts]

OH LORDIE!
Well I am wrong wrong wrong!
The soiree was at Chantilly
Desole :(
http://www.vaux-le-vicomte.com/en/film.php?film=8

[Bob Spencer]

Hmmm, removing the skin from fish.....isn't that what fishmongers do if you ask them nicely?

[MATTHEW ROSE]

The genius of Ms. Glaze. Fastest knife in France. Say do you think cutting all those wild animals put you in shape?

Have you seen No Reservations?

http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0481141/Ss/0481141/SHD07030.jpg.html?path=gallery&path_key=0481141

Best,

Matthew

[sktdoctor]

your recipe is great and so was the movie, Vatel. So luxurious and opulent--a truly underated film and it was pretty accurate historically as well.

[supra shoes]

Truth is the torch, but also a huge torch. Therefore, we want to go over his eyes, or even worried about being burned.