Oct 7, 2010

Turbot aux Beurre Blanc (Grilled Turbot with White Wine and Butter Sauce)

Turbot, a flatfish found in the North Atlantic, is grilled and generously sauced with a classic accompaniment of beurre blanc at Allard. We've simplified the dish to accommodate filets of sole, fluke, or flounder.

Credit: Landon Nordeman

10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and
   chilled
1 large shallot, minced
1⁄2 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1⁄3 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black
   pepper, to taste
2 7–10-oz. boneless, skinless ﬁlets of
   turbot, sole, ﬂuke, or ﬂounder
1⁄4 cup ﬂour minced ﬂat-leaf parsley,
   to garnish
Lemon wedges, for serving

1. Heat 2 tbsp. butter in a 10" skillet over medium heat until lightly browned. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add wine, bay leaf, and thyme; cook until wine has almost evaporated,
about 10 minutes. Add cream; cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Discard bay leaf and thyme; remove pan from heat. Add 5 tbsp. butter in small batches, whisking until each batch melts and sauce is smooth before adding the next. (For a smoother sauce, set a ﬁne strainer over a small skillet and strain beurre blanc, if you like.) Season sauce with salt and pepper, cover, and keep warm.

2. Melt remaining butter in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat until foamy. Season ﬁlets with salt and pepper. put ﬂour on a plate; dredge ﬁlets in ﬂour, shaking off excess, and transfer to skillet; cook, basting with butter and turning once, until ﬁlets are browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer ﬁsh to 2 warm serving plates and spoon over reserved beurre blanc. Garnish with parsley; serve with lemon wedges.

SERVES 2

Pairing note: With a harmony of citrus and stone fruits, the Sancerre Domaine Balland 2009 ($20) is an elegant match for this ﬁsh.