#tbt Fish and butter sauces

As you may have guessed, learning French cuisine means that I have been focusing a LOT on sauces. Despite the fact that sauces of all kinds and I have been in a serious relationship for years, we've decided now is the right time to take it to the next level. I mean, I was the kid who ordered the "Cool Caesar Chicken Wrap" from Chick'fil'a because it was healthier but then put not one, but two large packets of the accompanying caesar dressing with it. That was until, like all whirlwind romances, it came to a screeching halt and dead end. My father asked me if I had looked at the calorie content on that magical caesar sauce. If I remember correctly, after two packets, I was ingesting about 800 calories in my dressing alone (Damn you and your logic Dad!)

But, here in French culinary school- we literally eat, breath, and live on our sauces. A good sauce can mask a badly cooked dish. However, nothing can save a plate with a bad sauce. Being a saucier (sauce-man in the kitchen) is a sadistic job where you must basically sew the chinois as an extension of your arm. Oh and never mess up of course as well.

Unfortunately for me, I have one of my weakest scores on sauce. And it drives me to drink (well only sometimes) because I focus so much on it. But I always reduce too much or not enough. Not enough salt, too much salt.

"Did you taste your sauce?" the chef will ask me.

"Oui, Chef!" I'll respond.

Then he gives me a look and says, "Underseasoned. Not enough salt." Well, shucks.

But sometimes I get it right and those are the best moments. Like today's recipe: Beef Strogenoff (Yes, it is a Russian dish, but was apparently created by a French chef working for an aristocratic family in Russia so they claim it here too). I cooked a perfect sauce. Boo-freakin-ya!

Another time that I cooked a perfect sauce was for the Lemon Sole (a fish) day. This was the second class ever and I was so proud of myself.

So, for today's throw-back, let's look at the (White- Sole or Tilapia) fish in lemon-butter sauce that I used to make, but with a few new, super-sauce-making powered differences.

------------------------------------------------------

½ cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 fresh sole fillets, 3 to 4 ounces each (I would now suggest buying the fish whole and fileting them yourself, but this is too difficult to explain how to do by writing right now)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

(I would also add two shallots-finely chopped to this as well)

(potentially white wine as well)

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. 

Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large shallow plate. Pat the sole fillets dry with paper towels and sprinkle one side with salt.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) sauté pan over medium heat until it starts to brown. Dredge 2 sole fillets in the seasoned flour on both sides and place them in the hot butter. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes. ( I would just start at the medium-low temp instead of changing) Turn carefully with a metal spatula (DEFINITE MUST or you'll break the fish) and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. While the second side cooks, add ½ teaspoon of lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to the pan.

Carefully put the fish fillets on the ovenproof plates and pour the sauce over them. Keep the cooked fillets warm in the oven while you repeat the process with the remaining 2 fillets. When they’re done, add the cooked fillets to the plates in the oven. (I would then add more butter back to the pan, melt it, then sweat the finely chopped shallots. Once they had given up their water, I would deglaze the pan with more lemon juice/a little white wine. Whisk in any more butter to give it the right consistency. The right consistency is when your sauce coats the back of a spoon. Once there, pass through a chinois right on to those fish!) Sprinkle with the parsley, salt, and pepper and serve immediately.

Other changes:

This first way is easier, but if you are looking for a tender-er fish and not breaded, then I would do the sauce step I wrote at the end of the last paragraph of directions FIRST in the recipe,  but add fish stock or water after the while wine/lemon juice deglaze. Then fold the fish onto itself, placedit in this braising liquid and into the oven at 350 fahrenheit  for about 5 mins only. Take it out, remove the fish in the same way. Then place the sauce on the burner, whisk in extra butter to get to the right consistency, pass through the chinois, over the fish, parsley, season, plate.

Good luck with your sauces!