STEAMED SOLE with Sole and Shrimp Soufflé

STEAMED SOLE with Sole and Shrimp Soufflé

[Serving four]

12 small fillets of sole

12 chives

2.1 pt fish stock 

3.5 oz butter, cold

2 cups dry white wine

½ lb of sole (use the ends and trimmings of the sole fillets)

½ lb Icelandic shrimps

2 tablespoons shallot onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons brandy

1 tablespoon tomato paste

½ cup egg whites

¾ cup whipping cream

Salt and pepper

Sole is very abundant in Icelandic waters. For the most part it is eaten either boiled in water or sautéed in butter, but here is another idea off ering a bit of variety.

For the soufflé, first put the sole trimmings, the shrimps, the brandy and the tomato paste into a food processor and blend these ingredients until they have become a smooth paste. Now add the egg whites and blend on until they are thoroughly mixed in. When this is done, transfer the mixture into a bowl and chill it for about thirty minutes. When the chilling time is up, fold the chopped onions in with the mixture and then the cream until these are fully incorporated. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper and put it into a piping bag.

Now season the fillets of sole with salt and pepper. Roll up each fillet length-wise into a cylinder, leaving a hole about an inch in diameter in the center. Fill the hole with the soufflé, using the piping bag. Finally, tie a string of chive around the roll to hold it together. Finish rolling and filling all twelve rolls.

Now choose a very wide pot. Pour the white wine into the pot and then put a rack into it. The rack should be well above the surface of the white wine, and large enough to accommodate all the rolls. To get the required height for the rack, it can be put on top of, for example, some upended, small coffee cups. Place the rolls on the rack. They should not touch one another. The heat is turned on, the pot covered and the white wine let boil for about one minute and then the heat turned off. The pot is left on the stove for about five minutes, then the heat is turned on again and the wine let boil for about one minute more. After this the heat is again turned off, and the rolls left in the pot for about two minutes, after which time they should be ready.

For the sauce, put the fish stock in a saucepan and simmer it down to about half of its original volume. Cut the cold butter into pieces, and add them to the hot fish-stock reduction. While they melt, season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper and whisk it thoroughly with a hand blender until it becomes frothy. Finally, arrange the rolls on plates, three rolls to each of the four servings, and pour the sauce on top.

This is a course that is almost certain to please any lover of seafood. It has the fresh taste of fish and shrimps, enhanced by the fish-stock sauce.