Sole veronique with tarragon mash

Name: Sole veronique with tarragon mash
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 2
Cuisine: French recipes
Ingredients: 2 large potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped; 60g unsalted butter; 1 banana shallot, halved lengthways and finely sliced; 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced; 100g button mushrooms, finely sliced; 8 small sole or plaice fillets; 75ml dry vermouth; 75ml double cream; 10 green grapes, halved lengthways; 10g tarragon, finely chopped; 50ml whole milk; Squeeze lemon juice, to taste; Specialist kit; Toothpicks

By: Pollyanna Coupland
Food producer, delicious.

Published: 9 Aug 23
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

What is sole veronique? It’s a classic French fish dish combining a creamy vermouth sauce with fresh grapes and earthy mushrooms; perfect for late summer and the beginning of autumn. We like to serve it with a creamy tarragon mash.

You can’t beat the classics…try sole meuniere next.

Serves 2
Hands-on time 30 min

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Ingredients

2 large potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
60g unsalted butter
1 banana shallot, halved lengthways and finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
100g button mushrooms, finely sliced
8 small sole or plaice fillets
75ml dry vermouth
75ml double cream
10 green grapes, halved lengthways
10g tarragon, finely chopped
50ml whole milk
Squeeze lemon juice, to taste

Specialist kit

Toothpicks

Method

Put the potatoes in a pan of salted water and bring to the boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, melt 30g of the butter in a large sauté pan (one with a lid) and gently fry the shallot, garlic and mushrooms for a few minutes until just soft but not golden.
Season the sole fillets with a sprinkle of salt, then roll them up and pin them with toothpicks to keep their coil shape. Once the shallots are soft, pour in the vermouth and carefully add the fillets. Cover and allow to steam gently for 5 minutes.
Once the fillets are cooked through, carefully lift them out of the pan onto a plate, remove the toothpicks and cover with foil or an upturned bowl while you finish the dish. Add the cream and grapes to the pan, then gently simmer to heat through. Drain the potatoes and melt the remaining 30g of butter in the same pan, then add the tarragon. Return the cooked potatoes to the pan with the milk and a good pinch of salt and mash until smooth.
Taste the sauce and season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon right at the end. Divide the mash between plates or bowls, pour over the sauce, then add the rolled-up fish and serve.

Recipe from September 2023 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 998kcals
Fat: 40g (24g saturated)
Protein: 76g
Carbohydrates: 70g (10g sugars)
Fibre: 7.9g
Salt: 1.3g

delicious. tips

Fat is the best carrier of flavour, so making a tarragon butter to stir through your potato gives you a rich mash with a strong flavour throughout. If you want restaurant-style, extra smooth mash, push the potatoes through a sieve using the back of a spoon. This must be done while they’re still hot, otherwise they will turn gluey. Work in batches to make it easier.

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Sole veronique with tarragon mash

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition

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Sole veronique with tarragon mash

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition

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Or, how about...?

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