Sorry for the late diary. No excuse, alas.
Today I have another Williams-Sonoma recipe. It is from the first W-S cookbook I bought, Simple Classics Cookbook. I bought this book because I loved the pictures and it was coffee-table size. I didn't actually expect the recipes to be particularly unique. Was I ever wrong. The very first recipe I made was the one I'm posting today: Fillets of Sole with Mustard-Horseradish Sauce. Perfection. I've tried numerous recipes in this book and each was a success. I now own 26 W-S cookbooks. I learned to stop when I saw repeat recipes just packaged differently.
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Fillets of Sole with Mustard-Horseradish Sauce
Other mild flavored whitefishes -- sea bass, halibut, red snapper -- can also be prepared this way.
Just a few ingredients go into this dish, but all of them play key roles, so pay close attention to their quality. It is always better to get any seafood from a fish monger. Whole Foods also has excellent, fresh fish. I never buy fish at the grocery store -- but that's just me. Seek out mushrooms that are small and firm, without the brown filaments on the underside of the caps that indicate they are old. Make your own fresh bread crumbs from an Italian or French loaf. I've also used Panko.Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese, preferably imported. And the plain prepared horseradish found in the refrigerated section of your food store will have a far superior flavor to the one found bottled in the condiments aisle.
2 or 3 slices of French or Italian bread or 1-1 1/2 cups Panko
1/2 lb. small fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped (2 tblsps)
juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tblsps)
3-4 tblsps Dijon mustard
1-1 1/2 tblsps prepared horseradish
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 sole fillets, 6-7 oz (185-220 g) each
Position a rack in the lower part of an oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Butter a flameproof baking dish that will accommodate the fish fillets in a single layer without crowding.
Remove the crusts from the bread. Cut or tear the bread into small pieces and put into a food processor fitted with the metal blade or into a blender. Pulse a few times to make coarse crumbs; you should have 1-1 1/2 cups. Set aside.
Clean the mushrooms by brushing them with a soft brush or paper towel; do not wash. Slice thinly and set aside.
In a saute pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and saute, stirring, for 1 minute. Raise the heat to medium, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring and tossing, until the mushrooms are just wilted, 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
In a bowl, stir together the lemon juice, mustard, horseradish, cheese and sour cream until well blended. Add to the mushrooms, return to heat, and bring just to a simmer. Stir to blend and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Rinse the sole fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Place in the prepared baking dish in a single layer and spoon the sauce over the fillets. (I brushed the sauce to cover completely). Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs evenly over the top. Bake until the fish is opaque throughout when pierced with a sharp knife -- 10-20 minutes; the timing depends upon the thickness of the filets.
Preheat a broiler. Slip the baking dish under the broiler and broil to brown the top lightly. 1-2 minutes. Serve at once.
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