Poached Filet of Sole with Mushroom Beurre Noir and Almond Couscous

This is a nice poached sole entree that has a nice rich black butter flavor!

     Beurre noir is black butter.  Whole unsalted butter is cooked, till it turns black.  Beurre noir looks black in a pot, but on a white plate it will look like a dark brown color, especially when the flash bulb of a camera lights the plate.  

     Many chefs use clarified butter to make brown butter or black butter.  The reason why is because no straining is needed after the dark butter finishes cooking.  Clarified butter already has the milk fats removed.  By using clarified butter to make black butter, all that is occurring is the clarified butter is being scorched and there is no further flavor enhancement from the cooked milk fats.  I do not recommend using drawn butter or clarified butter for making brown or black butters.

     When whole butter is used to make dark butters, the milk fats continue cooking and browning as the butter cooks, so the flavor is increased.  Some chefs leave the black milk fat bits in a black butter sauce, like the black butter in the photos above.  The black milk fats add flavor.  For a more refined look, pour the black butter through a paper coffee filter and discard the milk fats.   

   
     Almond Couscous Recipe:
     Heat a sauce pot over medium low heat.
     Add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil.
     Add 1 tablespoon of almond slivers.
     Toss the almonds in the hot oil, till the almonds become toasted to a light golden brown color.
     Add 1 cup of water.
     Bring the liquid to a boil.
     Add 1/3 cup of couscous.
     Add sea salt and black pepper.
     Stir the couscous, till it is done cooking.  (Millet size couscous only takes about 4 minutes to cook.)
     Keep the couscous warm on a stove top.    
   
     Dill Carrots Recipe:
     Boil 1 handful of fresh carrot slices over high heat in a small sauce pot.
     Cook the carrots, till they become al dente.
     Drain the water off of the carrots.
     Place the sauce pot over very low heat.
     Add 2 pinches of chopped dill weed.
     Add sea salt and black pepper.
     Add 2 unsalted butter pats.
     Keep the carrots warm on a stove top.
   
     Mushroom Wedges:
     Precooking the mushrooms in white wine will give them a lighter color and a nice flavor that carries in the beurre noir!
     Heat 1/3 cup of dry white wine in a small sauce pot over medium/medium low heat.
     Add 1 small handful of petite mushroom wedges.
     Poach the mushroom wedges, till they become tender and till the wine becomes completely reduced.
     Set the poached mushroom wedges aside and keep them warm.
   
     Beurre Noire Recipe: 
     Heat a small sauce pot over medium heat.
     Add 6 pats of unsalted butter or unsalted plugra butter.
     Cook the butter till it turns a dark brownish black color.
     Set the beurre noir aside.
     The beurre noir can be served with the dark brown milk fat bits for extra flavor, or it can be strained through a coffee filter for a refined look.
   
     Poached Filet of Sole Recipe:
     Place enough light white fish stock or water in a sauce pot to cover a sole filet with 1" of extra liquid.
     Add 1 small handful of sliced onion.
     Add 1 clove of chopped garlic.
     Add 2 basil leaves.
     Add 6 black peppercorns.
     Add 2 slices of lemon.
     Add 2 ounces of dry white wine.
     Add sea salt.
     Place the pot over high heat.
     Bring the court bouillon to a boil.
     Reduce the temperature to medium heat.
     Place a 6 ounce sole filet into the court bouillon.
     Gently poach the filet of sole, till it is barely fully cooked.  (Sole is a delicate whitefish and it will flake if it is over poached!)
   
     Poached Filet of Sole with Mushroom Beurre Noir and Almond Couscous: 
     Use a slotted spatula to remove the sole filet from the court bouillon.
     Place the sole on the plate.
     Place the poached mushrooms on the sole filet.
     Use a mold or ring mold to place the couscous onto the plate.
     Place the dill carrots on the plate.
     Quickly heat the beurre noir over medium high heat, till it becomes very hot.
     Pour the hot beurre noir over the sole filet and mushrooms.

     This is simple French entree that really has great flavor.  Beurre Noir is really a sauce that is usually used for poached skate or ray.  Beurre noir adds delicious flavor to poached sole!
     The pan toasted almond couscous needs no broth or herbs to be great tasting.  Dill carrots are a true classic vegetable, just like thyme carrots.  This is a nice lunch or light dinner entree!  Yum!  ...  Shawna