Rolled Sole Recipe

Prepare spinach-smoked salmon filling

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped shallot and sauté 1–2 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the spinach (200 g) in batches, cooking until just wilted, 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Allow to cool slightly, then squeeze out excess moisture using a clean towel or fine sieve. Chop the wilted spinach roughly. Stir in smoked salmon slices (150 g) torn into small pieces, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Prepare sole fillets

Lay each sole fillet flat on a board. If thicker at one end, gently butterfly or flatten with the back of a knife or light pounding under cling film to even thickness. Season both sides lightly with salt and a little pepper.

Assemble rolls

Place about 1–2 tablespoons of the spinach-smoked salmon mixture near the narrow end of each fillet, leaving a 1 cm border. Roll the fillet tightly away from the filling toward the other end to form a neat cylinder. Tie each roll with kitchen string in two places to secure (or use toothpicks). Repeat for all fillets.

Poach or pan-roast the rolls

Option A — Poach: Bring a shallow pan with 200 ml salted water or fish stock to a gentle simmer. Add the sole rolls, cover, and poach gently 5–7 minutes until cooked through (opaque and flakey). Option B — Pan-roast: Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add rolls seam-side down and brown gently, turning to brown all sides, about 6–8 minutes until cooked through. Remove rolls to a warm plate and rest while finishing.

Prepare pastry shells

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Cut the ready-rolled shortcrust pastry sheet into 4 equal rounds (for 4 tartlets) or 6 small rounds depending on desired size. Press into greased tartlet tins or a muffin tray to form shells. Prick bases with a fork. Chill in fridge 10 minutes while preparing filling.

Make filling and assemble

In a bowl, mix ricotta (100 g), egg (1), grated parmesan (2 tbsp), olive oil (1 tsp), salt (1/2 tsp) and pepper (1/4 tsp) until smooth. Spread a thin layer of the ricotta mixture into each chilled pastry shell. Arrange thin courgette slices overlapping in a spiral, scatter garden peas (100 g) and halved cherry tomatoes on top. Brush pastry edges with a little beaten egg or milk if desired.

Bake tartlets

Bake in preheated oven for 18–22 minutes until pastry is golden and filling is set. Remove, cool slightly and unmould. Keep warm until plating.

Just before serving, toss cooked crayfish tails (150 g) with chopped parsley (1 tbsp) and a squeeze of lemon. Keep chilled or at room temperature until plating. These will be used as a cold/warm garnish on the plate.

Sauté shells and vegetables

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add lobster shells (300 g) and brown them lightly, 4–5 minutes, to deepen flavor. Add chopped shallot, carrot and celery and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in tomato paste (1 tbsp) and cook 1 minute.

Flambé and deglaze

Add brandy (30 ml) and carefully flame or let it reduce for 30 seconds to burn off alcohol. Add white wine (60 ml) and reduce by half, scraping up any browned bits.

Simmer stock

Add fish stock or water (500 ml), bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook gently 20–25 minutes to extract shell flavor. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing solids to extract liquid, discard solids. Return strained liquid to a clean pan.

Finish bisque

Bring the strained stock to a gentle simmer, then whisk in double cream (120 ml). Simmer 3–4 minutes to thicken slightly. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. For a silkier finish, blend briefly with an immersion blender and pass through a fine sieve. Keep warm until serving. Swirl in 1 tablespoon butter off the heat for gloss if desired.

Place one warm tartlet on each plate. Position a rolled sole beside or leaning against the tartlet. Remove kitchen string before serving or slice each roll in half on the bias and fan slightly. Spoon warmed lobster bisque around and/or partially over the sole (about 80–100 ml per plate), taking care not to drown the tartlet. Arrange a few crayfish tails on top of or beside the sole. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil (1 tsp) and dot a little butter-swirl into the bisque if desired. Finish with microgreens or baby herbs and a lemon wedge. Serve immediately.