Crab-Stuffed Sole Rolls

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9x13-inch baking dish or gratin dish
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Small saucepan for sauce
• •Fish tweezers or needle-nose pliers
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Inspect and prepare the sole

   Lay your sole fillets on a clean work surface, skinned side up. Run your fingers gently across each fillet, feeling for any pin bones the fishmonger might have missed. Remove them with tweezers or needle-nose pliers. Pat the fillets completely dry with paper towels. Moisture is the enemy of clean rolling. Season lightly with salt and white pepper. White pepper here isn't pretension; it simply disappears into the pale flesh where black specks would be distracting.

   Sole fillets have a natural curl to them. The skinned side (which was against the bone) should face up when you roll. This side will grip the filling better.
2. 2

   Build the crab filling

   Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add the shallots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. You want them translucent and sweet, not caramelized. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Add the crabmeat, breadcrumbs, chives, tarragon, egg yolk, mustard, and lemon zest. Fold gently with a fork. The crab should stay in recognizable pieces, not become a paste. Season with salt and a touch of white pepper. Taste it. The filling should taste of sweet crab with herbal brightness cutting through.

   Good Dungeness crab needs almost nothing. If your filling tastes flat, your crab may have been frozen too long or improperly handled. Fresh crab should smell like a clean ocean breeze, never fishy.
3. 3

   Roll the sole fillets

   Place about 2 tablespoons of filling at the wider end of each fillet. Don't overstuff; you need the fish to wrap completely around with a slight overlap. Roll from the wide end toward the narrow tail, tucking the tail underneath to secure. The roll should be snug but not tight. Place each roll seam-side down in a buttered baking dish, spacing them about an inch apart. They should fit in a single layer without crowding.

4. 4

   Add braising liquid and bake

   Preheat your oven to 375°F. Pour the wine and fish stock around (not over) the sole rolls. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and scatter them over the fish. Cover the dish tightly with foil, crimping the edges to seal. Bake until the fish is just opaque throughout, 15 to 18 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 140°F. Sole is thin and delicate; it goes from perfectly done to overdone in minutes. Start checking at 15 minutes.

   If you can see through the fish at all when you peek under the foil, give it another 2 minutes. Properly cooked sole will be uniformly white and flake when pressed gently with a fork.
5. 5

   Make the butter sauce

   Transfer the cooked rolls to a warm serving platter and tent loosely with foil. Pour the braising liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce by half, about 4 minutes. The liquid will concentrate and turn slightly syrupy. Remove from heat and whisk in the cold butter pieces one at a time, swirling the pan between additions. The sauce should turn glossy and emulsified, coating the back of a spoon. Stir in the lemon juice and taste for seasoning. It should be bright and rich simultaneously.

6. 6

   Plate and serve

   Arrange two sole rolls on each warmed dinner plate. Spoon the butter sauce generously over and around the rolls, letting it pool on the plate. Scatter fresh chervil or parsley over the top. Serve immediately. This dish waits for no one. The sauce will break if it sits, and the delicate sole deserves to be eaten at its peak.

Chef Tips

• •Sustainable sourcing matters. Look for Pacific sole from fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, or ask your fishmonger about local day-boat catches. Petrale sole from the West Coast is generally a responsible choice.
• •If Dungeness crab is unavailable or out of season (peak runs November through June), blue crab or even high-quality pasteurized crabmeat will work. What won't work is imitation crab. Don't insult the sole.
• •A dry Alsatian Riesling or Oregon Pinot Gris complements this dish beautifully. The wine's acidity cuts through the butter sauce while its subtle fruit echoes the crab's sweetness.
• •Serve with simply steamed new potatoes or a pilaf of wild rice, both of which grow in abundance in the Pacific Northwest. A side of haricots verts dressed with nothing but good butter and flaky salt lets the seafood remain the star.

Advance Preparation

• •The crab filling can be made up to 8 hours ahead and refrigerated, covered. Let it come to room temperature for 20 minutes before rolling.
• •Sole rolls can be assembled, placed in the baking dish, covered, and refrigerated for up to 4 hours before baking. Add 2-3 minutes to the cooking time if baking from cold.
• •This dish does not reheat well. The sole becomes rubbery and the sauce breaks. Plan to serve immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 200g)