Merry Old Sole

I just finished one of the best dishes I've ever had.  Kinda a tough thing to say when we probably try 5-10 new recipes a week.  Here's the deal.  Connie called it exactly.  This was the seafood dish that normally comes with a lot of bread crumbs or stuffing or other flavor killers.  This allowed the seafood to shine - we're not talking just glow, we're talking SHINE.  The recipe came from Bon Appetit's Favorite Restaurant Recipes.  Now, the cookbook was published circa 1982 so it's a bit dated.  But, folks, this was a VERY inexpensive cookbook.  How?  Connie and I spent most of Friday in Corydon, IN.  Yes, we actually took a couple of days of vacation.  But, more on that later.  When we got done seeing the historical sites, we wandered down a side street checking out the antique stores - and one used book store.  At the first antique mall, I found a book called the Heritage of Southern Cooking by Camille Glenn.  Turns out she was the food writer in Louisville for many years.  The book was $10.  I didn't want to spend that much on a used cookbook.  But, I did find this Bon Appetit book for $4.  So, I took it up front.  Turns out the fellow had his books on sale for half off.  Ok, now I'll buy the other one.  While I was back in the back retrieving it, I saw the Commander's Palace cookbook for $6.  Such a bargain.  Three cookbooks for $10.  The one from the Commander's Palace is autographed too - by one of my favorite guys - Chef Emeril.  How fun is that???  On to the used book store.  Someone smokes in there so I didn't want to stay long.  Good thing because 99% of their stock is trashy used paperbacks - which cost half their cover price.  The hardbacks, on the other hand, are a dollar.  Yup, a dollar.  Found one that's also autographed - Wine Bar Food by the Mantuano's.  The other is the Hay Day Market cookbook.  Altogether, five really fun cookbooks and not much money :-)  I read cookbooks the entire two hour drive back to Indy.  Of all the recipes I read, this was the one that stood out.  Rightfully so.  We gave it a five.  It's easy to make and very flavorful.  It's also fancy enough that you can make it for company. 

Merry Old Sole

Ingredients:

2 sea scallops, cut into eight pieces each
8 shrimp, size 21-25
1/2 c crab meat
1/2 c shredded mozzarella
2 small filets of sole (we substituted tilapia)
hollandaise sauce, kicked up
 
Directions:
 
Make the hollandaise sauce and set aside.  (recipe below)

You can use either a small casserole dish or two seafood gratin dishes.  Put the scallops and shrimp in the bottom of the dish.
 

 
Sprinkle the crab meat over the shrimp and scallops.

 
 
Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the crab meat.

 
 
Cover with the fish fillets.
 
 
Pour half the hollandaise sauce over the fish.

 
 
Bake 10-15 minutes at 450 or until fish flakes easily.

 
 
Serve the rest of the hollandaise at the table. 

adapted from Bon Appetit's Favorite Restaurant Recipes, originally from The Chowderhead in Gold Beach, Oregon
 

Blender Hollandaise - Kicked UP

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks
1 T lemon juice
1/2 c melted butter, hot
1/2 t Old Bay seasoning
2 T finely minced shallots
1 T capers
1/4 c Hellman's olive oil mayonnaise
dash Tabasco
dash Worcestershire

Directions:

Put the egg yolks and lemon juice in the blender.  Blend well.  While blender is running, remove the plug and pour in the butter in a steady stream.  Once the sauce has thickened, scrape it into a bowl

stir in the other ingredients

Thanks, Mom for the wonderfully easy recipe!