Karl Ratzsch’s serves this fillet of sole stuffed with crabmeat and topped with a creamy wine sauce.  The recipe was published recently in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s reader’s request section, found here: http://www.jsonline.com/features/recipes/125922753.html.

Stuffed Sole a la Ratzsch Wine Sauce:

½ c. white wine

2 c. chicken stock

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1 shallot, diced

½ bay leaf

¼ tsp. garlic, chopped

Pinch of white pepper ½ c. heavy whipping cream

4 T. (½ stick) butter, melted

4 T. flour

2 T. capers, drained

1 t. parsley, chopped

Salt to taste

Directions:

In medium saucepan, simmer wine 5 min.. Add stock, lemon juice, shallot, bay leaf, garlic and pepper. Simmer 4 min. over medium heat. Add cream and simmer 2 min. In a small pan, melt butter. Add flour and whisk about 2 min. Add to sauce mixture to thicken. Strain in small bowl. When ready to serve, reheat if necessary, then stir in capers and parsley. Add salt if needed.  Set aside to prepare sole.

Sole stuffed with crabmeat:

1/8 c. olive oil

½ c. bell pepper (half red, half yellow), diced

¼ c. red onion, diced

1 c. heavy whipping cream

1 t. jalapeño pepper, chopped

½ t. fresh cilantro, chopped

¼ t. fresh thyme, 

Salt to taste

Pinch of cayenne pepper

4 eggs, divided

½ t. chives, chopped

¼ t. dried dill

2 ¼ c. bread crumbs made from day old bread, divided

¼ c. ground almonds

1 lb. lump crab, drained

8 pieces (3 to 4 oz. each) fresh sole

1 c. flour

Pepper, to taste

2 – 3 tsp. vegetable oil

2 T. butter, melted

Directions:

In a small sauté pan, heat oil.  Add bell peppers and red onion and sauté until tender. Transfer to a bowl to cool. In small saucepan, simmer cream with jalapeño until reduced by half. Cool and add to onion/pepper mixture in bowl.

Stir in cilantro, thyme, salt, cayenne, 1 egg, chives, dill, ¼ cup bread crumbs and the ground almonds. Mix well and add crab. Adjust seasonings. Lay out sole and pat dry. In small bowl, whisk 1 of the remaining eggs and brush side of sole to be stuffed.

Stuff sole with 2 ½ to 3 tbsp. of the filling mixture. (You may have some leftover stuffing; refrigerate to use later to stuff other types of fish.) Roll up fillets, set on parchment paper and freeze 1 hour. (You will not need to secure with picks as they will stay together after freezing.)

When ready to prepare, preheat oven to 375° F.. Remove sole from freezer. Place flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Beat remaining 2 eggs in another bowl. Place remaining 2 c. bread crumbs in another. Dredge rolled fillets in flour, then dip into egg, draining off excess, and then dip into bread crumbs to evenly coat. In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil. Add fish and brown on all sides. Do not crowd pan. Fry fillets in batches if necessary.

When all fillets are browned, transfer to a baking pan and brush tops of fillets with butter. Bake in preheated oven 15 min. or until fish is cooked and filling is heated through. Put two pieces of fish on each serving plate and top with some of the sauce. Serves 4.