Fillets of Sole à la Delmonico
Sole was the fish of the fine Gilded Age table, and Delmonico's served it the French way. Chef Charles Ranhofer, who ran the Delmonico's kitchen for most of the years from 1862 to 1896, gave dozens of sole preparations in his 1894 cookbook The Epicurean.
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Fish
- 4 sole or flounder fillets about 5 oz (140g) each
- 1 cup 250ml dry white wine
- 1/2 cup 125ml fish stock or water
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 2 tbsp butter for the dish
- Salt and white pepper
For the Sauce
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- The strained poaching liquid plus more stock if needed to make 1 1/2 cups
- 1/2 cup 125ml heavy cream
- 1 egg yolk
- 8 oz 225g white mushrooms, sliced
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Salt white pepper, and a pinch of cayenne
- Chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
Poach the fillets
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter a shallow baking dish and scatter the shallot over it. Season the fillets with salt and white pepper, fold each one in half, and lay them in the dish. Pour over the white wine and fish stock. Cover with buttered parchment and poach in the oven for about 10 minutes, just until the fish is opaque and firm. Do not overcook.
Save the liquid
- Carefully lift the fillets onto a plate and keep them warm. Strain the poaching liquid into a measuring cup. This is the flavor base of the whole dish, so do not throw it away.
Cook the mushrooms
- Melt 1 tbsp of the butter in a skillet and cook the sliced mushrooms with a squeeze of lemon until soft and their water has cooked off. Set aside.
Make the sauce
- In a saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter and stir in the flour. Cook for a minute without coloring. Whisk in the strained poaching liquid a little at a time until smooth, then simmer until it thickens and coats a spoon. Stir in the mushrooms.
Enrich and finish
- Whisk the cream and egg yolk together in a bowl. Lower the heat right down, stir the cream mixture into the sauce, and warm it through without letting it boil. Season with salt, white pepper, and a pinch of cayenne.
Glaze and serve
- Pour the sauce over the warm fillets. For the true Delmonico's finish, slide the dish under a hot broiler for a minute until the top is glossy and lightly golden. Scatter with parsley and serve at once.
Notes
The dish hinges on gentle heat twice over: poach the fish softly, and never boil the sauce once the egg yolk goes in.
Ranhofer often added oysters or shrimp to his richer sole dishes. A handful of small cooked shrimp folded into the sauce is period-appropriate and lovely.
Serve with plain boiled or Duchess potatoes and a simple green vegetable, exactly as the Gilded Age table did.
This is the elegant Gilded Age counterpart to the showier Lobster Newburg. Sole was quieter, more refined, and to many hosts the greater compliment to a guest.