Sole Mornay — Sole Gratinéed under Cheese Sauce

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Sole Mornay takes shallow-poached sole fillets and covers them in Sauce Mornay — a béchamel enriched with Gruyère and Parmesan, egg yolks, and cream — then gratinées the dish under the salamander until the surface is bubbling and golden. It occupies the richer end of the sole spectrum, where the cheese sauce provides a savoury counterpoint to the sweet, delicate flesh. The fillets are shallow-poached in the standard manner (fumet, white wine, shallots, buttered cartouche, 8-10 minutes at gentle simmer). The cuisson is strained and reduced by half. Sauce Mornay is prepared separately: a medium béchamel (30g butter, 30g flour, 500ml milk) is enriched with 60g finely grated Gruyère and 30g Parmesan, stirred until melted and smooth. Off the heat, beat in 2 egg yolks mixed with 50ml cream. Combine 200ml of the Mornay with the reduced cuisson — this lightens the cheese sauce and adds fish flavour. Butter a gratin dish, spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom, arrange the poached fillets, and nap generously with the remaining sauce. Scatter a fine layer of grated Gruyère and dot with butter. Gratinée under the salamander at 280°C for 2-3 minutes until bubbling and spotted with gold. The cheese must melt and colour but not burn — the bitter compounds in scorched cheese would destroy the delicate balance. The dish sits at the intersection of the poissonnier and saucier stations, requiring mastery of both poaching and béchamel-family sauces.

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