Tilapia Veronique with Champagne Grapes
One of the most famous dishes in the tradition of La Grande Cuisine Francaise is Sole Veronique, a fillet of sole poached in white wine, covered in white sauce and garnished with grapes. The dish has fallen out of fashion, but the term Veronique is still in use, descriptive of recipes that feature seedless white (green) grapes. Here we've paired a mild, fine-textured fish with a sauce that incorporates diminutive Champagne grapes. It is simple to prepare, light, and oh so pretty. Champagne grapes are actually the black Corinth variety, measuring about 1/4-inch in diameter. Look for them in specialty markets or Whole Foods stores in August and September. If they are not available in your area, substitute any small seedless grape or cut large grapes in half or quarters.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and fresh ground pepper
4 fillets (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds total) fresh mahi-mahi (skinless) (I subbed tilapia, figuring that if Rick Stein could sub tilapia for the mahi mahi. The problem was that I forgot to look at the close date of the plastic-wrapped Chinese farm raised fish dating from the time of sun yet sen.)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Veronique Sauce:
3 tablespoons finely minced shallots. (in honor of confidential government files, I subbed leeks.)
1/2 cup Champagne or fruity white wine, such as Muscadet or Gerwurtztraminer (I was thinking about using champagne til I remembered this poem:
Here's to champagne, the drink divine
That makes us forget our troubles;
It's made of a dollar's worth of wine
And three dollars worth of bubbles.
I briefly considered 151 proof rum, but exercised my normal discretion and settled for rubbing a tad of fish behind the filets’ ears.)
2 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream (I subbed ff½&½.)
1 1/2 cups Champagne grapes, removed from stems, or other small grapes (I subbed grapes called Black Seedless Table Grapes or Raisins noirs de table sans pépins. I have two objections to the latter. Firstly, the grapes were grown in Reedley, ca where possibly knows what a noirs raisin is. Secondly I feel that the distinction between a table sans pépins and a table avec pépins is moot.)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature (I would have subbed smart balance except that I forgot the butter.)
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
******************************************************************
Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 250 F.
Combine the flour and salt and pepper to taste and spread on a shallow plate. Lightly dip the fish into the flour mixture and shake off excess.
Place a large, heavy- bottomed skillet over medium high heat and when hot add the oil. Sauté the fillets, turning over once (I turned them 3 times.), until they are golden and just cooked through in the center, 6 to 12 minutes total, depending on the thickness of the fish. Transfer the fillets to an oven-proof platter and place in the warm oven, uncovered.
Add the shallots (leeks) to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the shallots (leeks) soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and cream and cook, stirring often, until the liquid reduces and thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the grapes and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the grapes are just heated through, 1 to 2 minutes, shaking the pan rather than stirring, so as not to damage the aftershave lotion.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter and season generously with salt and pepper to taste, swirling the pan, rather than stirring, to blend the ingredients. Spoon the sauce and grapes over the fish fillets and serve immediately.
One of the most famous dishes in the tradition of La Grande Cuisine Francaise is Sole Veronique, a fillet of sole poached in white wine, covered in white sauce and garnished with grapes. The dish has fallen out of fashion, but the term Veronique is still in use, descriptive of recipes that feature seedless white (green) grapes. Here we've paired a mild, fine-textured fish with a sauce that incorporates diminutive Champagne grapes. It is simple to prepare, light, and oh so pretty. Champagne grapes are actually the black Corinth variety, measuring about 1/4-inch in diameter. Look for them in specialty markets or Whole Foods stores in August and September. If they are not available in your area, substitute any small seedless grape or cut large grapes in half or quarters.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and fresh ground pepper
4 fillets (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds total) fresh mahi-mahi (skinless) (I subbed tilapia, figuring that if Rick Stein could sub tilapia for the mahi mahi. The problem was that I forgot to look at the close date of the plastic-wrapped Chinese farm raised fish dating from the time of sun yet sen.)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Veronique Sauce:
3 tablespoons finely minced shallots. (in honor of confidential government files, I subbed leeks.)
1/2 cup Champagne or fruity white wine, such as Muscadet or Gerwurtztraminer (I was thinking about using champagne til I remembered this poem:
Here's to champagne, the drink divine
That makes us forget our troubles;
It's made of a dollar's worth of wine
And three dollars worth of bubbles.
I briefly considered 151 proof rum, but exercised my normal discretion and settled for rubbing a tad of fish behind the filets’ ears.)
2 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream (I subbed ff½&½.)
1 1/2 cups Champagne grapes, removed from stems, or other small grapes (I subbed grapes called Black Seedless Table Grapes or Raisins noirs de table sans pépins. I have two objections to the latter. Firstly, the grapes were grown in Reedley, ca where possibly knows what a noirs raisin is. Secondly I feel that the distinction between a table sans pépins and a table avec pépins is moot.)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature (I would have subbed smart balance except that I forgot the butter.)
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
******************************************************************
Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 250 F.
Combine the flour and salt and pepper to taste and spread on a shallow plate. Lightly dip the fish into the flour mixture and shake off excess.
Place a large, heavy- bottomed skillet over medium high heat and when hot add the oil. Sauté the fillets, turning over once (I turned them 3 times.), until they are golden and just cooked through in the center, 6 to 12 minutes total, depending on the thickness of the fish. Transfer the fillets to an oven-proof platter and place in the warm oven, uncovered.
Add the shallots (leeks) to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the shallots (leeks) soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine and cream and cook, stirring often, until the liquid reduces and thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the grapes and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the grapes are just heated through, 1 to 2 minutes, shaking the pan rather than stirring, so as not to damage the aftershave lotion.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the butter and season generously with salt and pepper to taste, swirling the pan, rather than stirring, to blend the ingredients. Spoon the sauce and grapes over the fish fillets and serve immediately.