This one is for a special occasion! You make a simple stuffing of mostly crab meat, fold fillets of sole over the filling, and poach. When it's done you reduce the cooking liquid and enrich it with lobster stock and butter.
A paupiette is just a thin fillet of fish or piece of meat filled with something savory. They are typically braised or baked in wine or stock. They're very popular in France, and you can often buy them ready-to-cook.
Make the Forcemeat for Crab-Stuffed Sole.
In a saucepan, heat 2c lobster stock.
In a skillet, saute 8 oz sliced white mushrooms in butter, move to a back burner to keep warm.
In another skillet, saute 8 shrimp in butter, remove and keep warm.
Dust the bottom of each of the 8 sole fillets and lay them flat on some wax paper or a cutting board.
Divide the forcemeat into 8 parts, and put them on the widest half of each fillet, top with a lobster claw, and then fold the smaller half of the fillet over it to make a paupiette.
Heat up the pan that you cooked the shrimp in and gently lift the paupiettes into the hot butter. Saute 4 minutes, then gently remove to a warm plate.
Deglaze the pan with 4 tbsp Cognac, put in a small bowl.
Melt 2 tbsp butter and whisk in 2 tbsp flour.
Cook a minute then add the Cognac and boil it down over high heat.
Add the hot stock and whisk it briskly into the roux. bring to a boil and simmer a few minutes to thicken a little. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Arrange the paupiettes on a platter with the sauce, then put the mushrooms and shrimp in between, along with a few basil leaves.
Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve hot.
I like the lump leg crab meat from Great Atlantic Crab Company. We get it at Kyler's Catch in New Bedford, but I have seen it at Market Basket too.
