This is a great spring dish with lots of simple flavors. I got all fancy pants with presentation, but the dish will taste the same if you don't have the time or the patience to play with the presentation.
This recipe was intended to serve four people.
Petrale Sole
2 Bunches of parsley
Bunch of chives
Bunch of basil
Shallots
Olive oil
Butter
Yukon Potatoes
Cognac
Peas removed from the pods or frozen peas
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Salt and pepper
Peel two small yukon potatoes per person and cut into small consistent pieces. To help keep the dish a little lighter, fry the potatoes in equal parts olive and canola oil on one side in a covered non-stick pan on medium heat. The amount of time to cook depends on how large the cut is on your potatoes. I cooked mine for 10-12 minutes.
I take the fish and sprinkle with kosher salt and a little finely ground black pepper, finely chopped parsley and finely minced chives. Then roll the fish starting with the thicker end of the fish and seal with a single tooth pick by inserting through the fish roulade at an angle leaving the tail resting on the bottom of the roll.
Take a 1 1/2 cups of sweet peas, blanch in salty boiling water for around thirty seconds, longer if your using fresh peas. Strain and submerge in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Next pick the leaves off of one bunch of basil and do the same to a bunch of Italian parsley (flat leaf parsley). Then fry both of the herbs separately until they turn crispy and dark green (not brown). Then puree the drained peas, basil, parsley and 1/4 cup of grated Parmigiana Reggiano and 1/2 cup of olive oil in a food processor until very smooth. As always season with salt and pepper.
Sear the pieces of sole in a nonstick pan with olive oil and butter. Put the fish in the pan being careful not to over crowd the pan. Sear with the tail flap down and cook until brown covered to cook the roulade through. About 5 -6 minutes over medium heat.
In the pan drippings add one minced shallot and saute until golden and then turn off the gas and add 1/2 cup of cognac and let sizzle then turn your gas back on medium-high heat to help cook out the alcohol while being careful not to catch the cognac on fire. Once the cognac has reduced by 1/3 add in 3 tbs. of butter, 1/2 bunch of finely chopped parsley and turn off the heat and swirl the butter into the pan and check the seasoning.
Then just arrange your potatoes on the plate in a spaced out herringbone pattern, pile a a scoop of the pea puree towards one end of the potatoes and put 2 pieces of fish and ladle the sauce over the fish. Garnish with lemon zest and some chive oil.
