Filets de Soles Déjazet

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large rimmed sheet pan with broiler-safe wire rack
• •Three wide shallow dishes
• •Wide flexible fish spatula
• •Small saucepan
• •Pastry brush

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare tarragon twice

   Bring half the measured water to a boil with a pinch of the salt, and place the remaining cold water in a bowl. Drop in the 48 whole tarragon leaves for 10 seconds, just until they relax and brighten, then lift them directly into the cold water. Drain and press them completely dry between clean towels. Beat the chopped raw tarragon and another pinch of salt into the softened butter until evenly green-flecked. Keep the tarragon butter cool but pliable. The chopped herb perfumes the butter, while the parboiled leaves preserve a distinct tarragon bite; laid on twice, the tarragon decides the dish.

2. 2

   Dry and season sole

   Run your fingertips over the fillets and remove any remaining pin bones. Blot the fish thoroughly on both sides, then season lightly and evenly with the remaining salt and white pepper. Leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for 10 minutes while you arrange the coating dishes. Wet sole makes the flour patchy, and a patchy foundation lets the crust slide.

3. 3

   Paner à l'anglaise

   Set the flour, prepared Anglaise (for Egg-and-bread-crumbing) (No. 174), and fine breadcrumbs in three wide shallow dishes, in that order. Draw each fillet through the flour and shake off every loose veil, coat it completely in the Anglaise, let the excess drain, then lay it in the crumbs. Pat the coating gently with the flat of a knife so it adheres in one thin, close layer. If a bare patch appears, blot that spot, dust it again with flour, and repeat the coating there. Ça se rattrape. Hold the finished fillets in a single layer, never stacked.

   Use fine fresh breadcrumbs, not coarse flakes. Sole cooks quickly, and large crumbs cannot color evenly before the fish is done.
4. 4

   Set the home grill

   Position an oven rack about 8 inches (20 cm) below the broiler and heat the broiler for 10 minutes. Set a broiler-safe wire rack inside a rimmed sheet pan and brush it lightly with some of the melted butter. This is the home translation of the grill used for Sole Saint-Germain (No. 830): strong radiant heat held far enough away to color the crumbs gently rather than scorch them.

5. 5

   Grill to gold

   Lay the fillets on the prepared rack without crowding them and brush their upper surfaces lightly with half the remaining melted butter. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the coating is pale gold and firm enough to turn. Ease a wide fish spatula underneath each fillet, turn carefully, brush with the last butter, and grill for another 2 to 3 minutes. The crumbs should be evenly golden as the fish turns opaque and reaches 145°F (63°C) at its thickest point. If the coating darkens too quickly, move the tray one level lower; if a patch lifts during turning, press it gently back into place and dab it with butter.

6. 6

   Half-melt tarragon butter

   While the sole grills, warm the tarragon butter over the lowest heat until roughly half is liquid and half remains soft, then stir it off the heat into a thick, glossy pouring consistency. Do not melt it clear. Fully liquid butter runs through the crumbs and leaves them greasy. If it goes too far, set the pan over the bowl of cold water and whisk until the butter thickens but still flows. Ça se rattrape.

7. 7

   Dress and serve

   Transfer the fillets to a warm oval platter or arrange two on each warmed plate. Spoon the half-melted tarragon butter thinly across the crust, enough to veil it without drowning it, then lay five or six parboiled tarragon leaves over each fillet. Serve at once while the coating is crisp and the butter still clings. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Dover sole has the firm, fine-grained flesh this treatment expects. Lemon sole or small flounder can stand in, but choose evenly sized fillets and shorten the grilling time if they are thinner.
• •Fresh tarragon is not negotiable here. Dried tarragon cannot supply the whole leaves or their clean fragrance, so if the bunch at the market is tired and blackened, change the evening's plan and cook Déjazet when the herb is sound.
• •Sole Saint-Germain (No. 830) is cited here for its gentle breadcrumb-grilling method. Its turned potatoes and Béarnaise belong to that separate preparation; Déjazet finishes only with tarragon butter and parboiled tarragon leaves.
• •Serve a dry, restrained white with enough acidity for the butter, such as Chablis or a Loire Sauvignon Blanc. Lemon is unnecessary on the plate because it would push aside the double tarragon finish.

Advance Preparation

• •The tarragon butter can be mixed up to 2 days ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Let it soften until pliable before half-melting it.
• •The whole tarragon leaves can be parboiled up to 4 hours ahead. Dry them thoroughly, arrange them between clean towels, cover, and refrigerate.
• •The sole may be coated up to 15 minutes before grilling and held uncovered in a single layer in the refrigerator. Longer holding dampens the breadcrumbs, so cook this dish close to serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 260g)