CATEGORY:

Seafood

SERVES:

4

CUISINE:

French

CHEF:

Roland Passot

SOCIAL:

Salmon & Sole with Hazelnut, Lemon, & Piment d’Esplette Crust with Cherry-Caper Verjus Sauce

Morbi vitae purus dictum, ultrices tellus in, gravida lectus.

Roland Passot
Maitre Cuisinier de France
Founder, La Folie, San Francisco
Co-founder, Left Bank Brasserie, Larkspur/Menlo Park/San Jose, CA

SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS

  • FISH:

  • 3 pieces center-cut salmon, about 3 ounces each

  • 6 pieces sole fillet, each about the same size as the salmon (3 ounces each)

  • CRUST:

  • 7 tablespoons (1 stick minus 1 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened (about 3.5 ounces)
  • ¾ cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped (about 3.5 ounces)
  • 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon piment d’Espelette (or substitute mild chili powder)
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • Salt, to taste

  • CHERRY-CAPER VERJUS SAUCE:

  • 1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and quartered (about 4.5 oz)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick or 4 oz)
  • ¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped (about 1 oz)
  • Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 1 tablespoon capers

  • ½ cup verjus (or substitute red wine vinegar, slightly diluted with water if strong)

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
METHOD
  • 1

    Assemble the Fish:

    • Trim salmon into 3 evenly sized pieces, about 1 inch wide and 2½ inches long.
    • Place one sole fillet underneath each piece of salmon, and top with a second sole fillet, sandwiching the salmon in the center.
  • 2

    Make Hazelnut Compound Butter (Crust):

    • In a bowl, mix softened butter, chopped hazelnuts, lemon zest, lemon juice, piment d’Espelette, panko, and a pinch of salt to form a coarse, spreadable paste.
  • 3

    Form the Crust:

    • Spread about ¼ cup of the mixture between two sheets of parchment paper.
    • Roll or press into a sheet about ¼ inch thick, sized to cover the top of each fish portion.
    • Cut crust to match fish portions and place on top of each sole-salmon sandwich.
    • Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
  • 4

    Cook the Fish:

    • Preheat oven to 350°F.
    • Place fish on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes.
    • Switch to broil and cook for 2 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
  • 5

    Make the Sauce:

    • In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and cook until it turns nutty brown (beurre noisette), about 3–4 minutes.
    • Add cherries and chopped hazelnuts. Sauté for 2 minutes.
    • Stir in capers and verjus. Let simmer for 3–4 minutes, reducing slightly.
    • Add lemon juice and parsley. Stir to finish.
  • 6

    To Serve:

    • Let the fish rest briefly after broiling.
    • Plate 3 fish portions per plate, spaced about 1 inch apart.
    • Optional: Arrange steamed asparagus in between the fish.
    • Spoon the warm cherry-caper sauce over and around the fish.

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