Fillets Stuffed with Cheese

Sole fillets (or orange roughy) sandwiched around slices of Monterey Jack cheese and ripe tomato, dipped in garlic and basil seasoned butter, then baked with a sprinkle of Parmesan until the fish flakes and the cheese melts into a gooey, savory filling.

The seasoned butter does triple duty. Melted in the baking pan first, it flavors the fish when you dip both sides. It keeps the bottom fillet from sticking to the pan. And it bastes the fish from below as it bakes, keeping everything moist.

Layering the cheese and tomato between two fillet halves keeps the stuffing contained while the fish cooks. The tomato releases just enough juice to steam the cheese into a molten layer, and the Parmesan on top forms a thin, salty crust.

Pro Tips

• Use ripe, firm tomatoes. Too juicy and they’ll make the filling watery. Slice them thin.
• Dip each fillet half in the seasoned butter thoroughly on both sides before assembling.
• Don’t over-stuff. Two to three slices of cheese and one tomato slice per fillet is the right ratio.
• Check at 25 minutes. Thin sole fillets cook fast and overdone fish turns rubbery.

Variations

• Use pepper jack instead of Monterey Jack for a spicy kick.
• Add a thin slice of prosciutto or ham between the cheese layers.
• Swap basil for fresh dill in the butter for a more classic fish-and-herb pairing.