Sauteed Filet of Sole with Champagne Herb Sauce
One of the most important goals when creating a new dish is achieving a balance of flavor: No seasoning, spice, or herb should overwhelm the other ingredients. In the following recipe, sauteed sole is topped with a sauce made with champagne, oyster sauce, shiitake mushrooms, fresh herbs, and pine nuts. With each bite you can distinguish the delicate flavor of the sole and a slight crispness from its browned exterior, the yeasty flavor from the champagne, low notes from the oyster sauce and mushrooms, and high notes from the herbs. All the flavors and textures harmonize.
-Easy
-Serves 4 as a main entree
8 pieces fresh filet of sole, about 1 1/2 pounds total
2 tablespoons dried herbes de provence
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup white flour
champagne herb sauce
3 cups dry champagne
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cloves garlic, finely minces
1 red bell pepper
1/4 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons slivered fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup cooking oil
advance preparation
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Trim the sole of any ragged edges. In a small bowl, combine the herbes de provence, salt, and pepper. Set aside the flour. IN a small saucepan, combine the champagne, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and cornstarch, and place over high heat. Bring the sauce to a boil, then continue to boil until only 1 cup remains. Cool and refrigerate the sauce. Set aside the minced garlic. Cut the bell pepper into 1-inch-long slivers. Discard the mushroom stems. Overlap the caps and cut into 1/8-inch-thin slices. Toast the pine nuts on a baking sheet in the preheated oven until golden, about 8 minutes. The recipe to this point can be completed up to 8 hours in advance of last-minute cooking.
last-minute cooking
Set aside the basil and cilantro. Place a layer of newspaper or wax paper on the counter. Add the sole and sprinkle with the dry herb mixture. Dust each filet with flour, then shake off all the excess.
Place two 12-inch saute pans on 2 burners over high heat. When the saute pans become hot, add 2 tablespoons of the cooking oil to each one. Roll the oil around the bottom of the pans, then add the sole. Saute about 1 minute until golden on underside, then carefully turn over and cook about 1 minute more. The sole is done when it just begins to flake when prodded with a fork. Transfer the sole to 4 heated dinner plates.
Return 1 of the saute pans to high heat. Add the remaining oil, garlic, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Saute 15 seconds, the add the champagne sauce. Bring the sauce to a rapid boil and cook until the mushrooms soften, about 20 seconds. Stir in the basil, cilantro, and pine nuts. Spoon the sauce over the filets and serve at once.
menu ideas
Easy weeknight dinner for 4: Sauteed Filet of Sole with Champagne Herb Sauce, spinach salad with one of the salad dressings from Chapter 3, hot sourdough rolls, and fresh fruit.
note: It is impractical to serve this dish to more than 4 people unless you want to stand in front of the stove panfrying the fish in relays while your friends eat their portions in the dining room. For large amounts, rub the filets with a little thin soy sauce and dry sherry, then broil the sole, make the sauce separately in a small saute pan, and spoon this over the cooked fish.
Tricolor Pasta Salad with Asian Peanut Dressing
This versatile salad, accompanied by Southwestern Fried Chicken of chilled Barbecued Shrimp Brushed with Creole Butter, is an ideal choice for outdoor summer concerts and picnics. It can also be transformed into a main entree by adding barbecued chicken cut into bite-sized pieces, or chilled cooked shrimp.
-Moderate
-Serves 4 to 6 as a salad when accompanying a main entree.
1/2 pound dried, tricolor spiral pasta
1 tablespoon safflower oil
1/2 bunch pencil-thin asparagus
1 medium carrot
1 small red bell pepper
1 cup matchstick-cut fennel root
1/2 cup matchstick-cut Japanese or hothouse cucumber
1/4 cup raw hazelnuts
asian peanut dressing
6 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup coconut milk
Finely grated or minced zest (colored part of skin) from 1 lime, plus 3 tablepoons
lime juice
2 tablespoons heavy soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon Asian chile sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons very finely minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
advance preparation
Preheat the oven to 325 F. Drop the pasta into 6 quarts lightly salted, rapidly boiling water. Over the highest heat, cook according to the manufacturer's instructions, about 8 minutes, until firm but no longer raw-tasting. Tip the pasta into a colander and rinse under cold water, then drain thoroughly. Stir the oil into the pasta to prevent sticking.
Snap off and discard the asparagus ends. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil, stir in the asparagus, and cook until they brighten; immediately transfer to a bowl filled with cold water and ice. Leave the hot water in the pot. When the asparagus are cool, cut into 2-inch lengths.
Peel the carrot and cut on a sharp diagonal into 1/8-inch-thin slices; overlap the carrot slices and cut into 1/8-inch-thin matchsticks. Place the carrots in a sieve and pour the boiling water that the asparagus were cooked in over them; immediately transfer the carrots to a bowl of ice water. When chilled, pat the carrots dry with paper towels and set aside. Stem, seed, and cut the bell pepper into 1/8-inch-thin matchsticks. Set aside the fennel root and cucumber. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until golden. Then cool and set aside.
Make the dressing: In a bowl, conbine the peanut butter with the boiling water and stir until evenly mixed. Add all of the remaining salad dressing ingredients, stir well, then taste and adjust the seasonings. The recipe to this point can be completed up to 8 hours in advance of serving.
assembling
Bring all the salad ingredients and the dressing to room temperature. Combine the pasta, vegetables, and nuts so they are evenly mixed. Add the dressing and mix again. Serve at room temperature.
menu ideas
As part of an outdoor picnic, serve this salad with Magical Chicken Wings, Barbecued Shrimp with Creole Butter, and Valrhona Cocoa Truffles with fresh fruit.
Magical Chicken Wings
This recipe is dedicated to those fanatic chicken wing devotees who fasten their attention on how quickly a platter of chicken wings can disappear, regardless of whether napkins are provided or other guests are trying to engage in conversation. These chicken wings, which are glazed with hoisin sauce, chile sauce, garlic, lime juice, and fresh herbs, then roasted to a beautiful mahogany color, have a complex multilevel taste.
-Easy
-Serves 6 to 10 as an appetizer.
4 pounds chicken wings
1 cup hoisin sauce
3/4 cup plum sauce
2 teaspoons grated or finely minced lime zest (colored part of skin)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/3 cup fish sauce
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon Asian chile sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
10 cloves garlic, finely minced
advance preparation
Cut off the tips of the chicken wings and save them for making stock. If serving wings in small pieces, cut each in half at the joint. In a bowl large enough to hold the wings, combine all of the remaining ingredients. Add the wings, mix thoroughly, and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours.
last-minute cooking
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a shallow baking pan with foil. Coat a wire rack with cooking spray and place the rack in the baking pan. Drain the chicken and reserve the marinade. ARrange the wings on the rack and roast for 30 minutes. Baste the wings with the reserved marinade, turn them, and baste again. Continue roasting until the wings turn a mahogany color, another 20 to 30 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
menu ideas
A holiday appetizer party for 12: Magical Chicken Wings (double recipe), Spicy Gravlax with Mango Salsa (double recipe), Crisp Salmon Spring Rolls, and Spicy Red and White Dumplings.
Excerpted from Fusion Food Cookbook. Copyright (c) 1994 by Hugh Carpenter. Reprinted with permission by Artisan.