Friday, March 7, 2014

Crab-Stuffed Sole – Rolling in Excitement

There is nothing exciting about sole. It’s cheap, easy to find, has a mild, unremarkable flavor, and…that’s about it. It’s the Pabst Blue Ribbon of seafood. Which means it’s the perfect candidate for jazzing up by stuffing with crab.

The sole filets I used here were a little smaller than I would have liked, and I probably over-stuffed them a bit, which will increase the chances they will split along the natural seams in the flesh, especially if you roll too tight. As you can see, it’s not a big deal, and doesn’t alter the taste, but I did want to point it out.

As far as the trick I mentioned for covering cracks; all you need to do is save a little of your lemon-mayo mixture, and near the end of the cooking time (when the seams begin to split), pipe it into any unsightly crevices. Then, turn on the broiler, and give the top a quick browning to hide the evidence. I think these looked fine as is, and for a regular dinner I wouldn’t bother, but for those fancier parties, it’s not a bad idea.

I hope it’s pretty obvious that this technique would work for hundreds of other filling, as well as with any thin, white, roll-able fish. These are also great since you can make them well ahead of time, and then just sauce and bake when you’re ready to party. I hope you give these delicious crab-stuffed sole filets a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 2 portions:
6 sole filets (12 ounces)
salt to taste
For the filling:
4 oz crabmeat
2 tsp minced green onion
1 tbsp finely diced poblano pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
For the sauce:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
cayenne to taste
- Bake at 400 F. for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through