Sole steamed on a bed of ceylon tea

4 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1½ pounds Sole, flounder or fluke*
1½ tablespoon Ceylon tea, loose
Salt
½ tablespoon Unsalted butter
2 smalls Limes; peel/seed/dice
Ceylon Tea Butter Sauce

Directions

* Use 2 Dover sole, skinned and filleted to give 8 fillets; OR 4 flounder fillets (6 to 7 ounces each), cut in half lengthwise along the center line of the fillet

"Maniere imbued sole with the exotic woody scent of Ceylon tea by steaming the fish on a bed of the leaves. (Loose tea leaves will give more flavor than tea bags.) A rich, warmly colored butter sauce, made with a Ceylon tea-infused vinegar, completes the movement, and a garnish of a sparkling dice of lime cuts the righness of the sauce." Make the butter sauce; set aside in a warm place, and cover to keep warm.

Cut a double layer of cheesecloth hat is twice as long as the steamer rack. Lay the cheesecloth on the steamer rack so that half of the cheesecloth covers the rack and the other half falls outside the steam. Sprinkle the tea over the cheesecloth in the steamer and fold the outer half of the cheesecloth over the tea to enclose it.

Fold each fillet in half, skinned side in. Sprinkle with salt and place in a single layer on the cheesecloth on the steamer rack. Place over simmering water, cover, and steam until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

Just before the fish is cooked, melt the butter in a frying pan over high heat. Add the lime and saute just to warm through, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.

To serve, divide the fillets among four plates. Sprinkle the lime over the fish and spoon the sauce over.

Serve the fish with boiled potatoes or a simple rice pilaf; other vegetables muddy the delicate flavors of fish and sauce. If you have deep plates, spoon all of the sauce onto the plates so that the fish luxuriates in it. If not, spoon some sauce over each fillet and serve the rest in a sauceboat.

Source: "Cuisine a la Vapeur: The Art of Cooking with Steam" by Jacques Maniere; translated by Stephanie Lyness

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