Sole Amhuinnsuidhe
This is our variant of a classic and spectacular dish, making elegant use of the fine fresh fish we enjoy in the Hebrides. I have used squat lobsters, the delicious little crustaceans that abound here, but prawns are nearly as good. You can also use lemon sole, or plaice, instead of Dover sole. The first part is a little fiddly, but the end result is well worth it. Do be careful when sieving the mousse: if you do too much at a time the cream might curdle. It can be prepared well in advance up to the "*" in the recipe below.
Serves 4
Remove the head of each fish and fillet it by cutting through the skin to the spine, then easing the fish off the bone with a very sharp knife, either side of the backbone. Turn it over and do the same the other side. With scissors, sever the bone at the tail and remove it, making sure that the tail stays attached to the fillets to keep the whole thing together. Trim the smaller bones off the sides of the fish, leaving just a little frill of bone to keep the shape. Arrange the filleted fish, dark side up, on buttered foil on a baking tray. sprinkle it with salt inside and prepare the mousse.
Put the salmon into a food-processor and process it for a minute. Add the egg-white, then, using the 'pulse' button, gently mix in the cream and salt. Sieve it, a little at a time into a clean bowl and chill it thoroughly for an hour in the fridge.
Spoon the mousse (I often use a piping-bag with a broad nozzle for this) into the cavity of each fish (1) and arrange the prawns or squat lobsters along the top (2). Trickle melted butter over the top and cover the whole thing in foil. *
Bake for 20 minutes (check after 15 - the mousse should be firm to the touch).
Meanwhile, make the sauce by reducing the wine and vinegar over a brisk heat until only about one tablespoonful is left. Whisk in the butter, little by little, then stir in the cream and the vermouth and check the seasoning. When the fish is ready, allow it to rest for a minute or two and then lift the skin off the top, and discard it, along with the tail.
Pour the sauce over the fish and sprinkle with chives. This is very good served with tagliatelle, sprinkled with fresh tarragon leaves.
