Fillet Mosaic with Red Pepper Sauce
Submitted by SkylerStone
Fillet mosaic of woven sole, salmon, and spinach strips poached in fish stock and served on a roasted red pepper sauce with white wine and apple jelly. A stunning, restaurant-quality fish presentation.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minThis is one of those dishes that makes people stop and stare at the plate. Thin strips of sole and salmon get woven together with blanched spinach leaves into a checkerboard mosaic, then gently poached in fish stock. The white sole, pink salmon, and green spinach create a striking visual that looks like it came from a Michelin-starred kitchen.
The weaving is more forgiving than it sounds. Six sole strips lay side by side as the base, then salmon and spinach strips get threaded through alternately, over and under, just like weaving fabric. The fish holds together during the brief 5-minute poach because the proteins firm up and bond as they cook.
The red pepper sauce is the finishing stroke. The poaching broth gets reduced with white wine, then roasted red pepper puree, apple jelly, and lemon juice get stirred in for a silky, sweet-smoky sauce that pools under each woven fish square on the plate.
Chef Tips
- Cut the sole and salmon strips to a uniform ½ inch wide and 5 inches long. Uneven strips make the weave sloppy
- Blanch the spinach for just 3 seconds to soften it without cooking it to mush. It only needs to become pliable
- Use a wide slotted spatula to lower and remove the woven squares. They’re delicate and will break with tongs
- Poach over very low heat. Bubbling liquid will shake the weave apart
Variations
- Use sea bass or halibut strips in place of sole for a firmer texture
- Skip the weaving and layer the strips in a terrine mold for a simpler presentation
- Add a teaspoon of saffron to the poaching broth for golden color and floral flavor
Ingredients
Directions
*Note: Red bell peppers should be roasted, peeled and pureed.
Cut sole into 24 (½-inch-wide) strips, about 5 inches long.
Cut salmon fillets into 12 (½-inch-wide) strips 5 inches long.
Trim stems from spinach leaves.
Blanch spinach in hot water about 3 seconds to soften.
Drain.
Roll lengthwise as thinly as possible. To prepare each serving, place 6 sole strips lengthwise side by side. Tightly weave a spinach strip among sole strips at top. Below weave salmon strip. Now weave in another spinach strip. Continue to alternately weave salmon and spinach strips. You will need 3 salmon strips and 3 spinach strips for each sole mosaic. Continue to weave remaining 3 portions. Set aside. Place stock and shallot in skillet large enough to hold fish squares. Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Using wide slotted spatula, lower fish squares into hot broth. Cover and simmer over very low heat 5 minutes. Carefully remove. Keep warm. If your skillet is not large enough to hold all of fish, cook them in batches. Skim any white residue from remaining broth in skillet. Add wine to broth and simmer over high heat until broth is reduced by half. Stir in red pepper purée, apple jelly and lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain sauce, then nap bottom of serving platter or individual plates with some of sauce and cover with sole squares.
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