My guess is that
while a lot of you are enjoying the sweet juicy grapes of summer, you are
enjoying them in their original state. Some of you may have turned them into
jam or jelly, but only a small percentage probably uses them in cooking. I'd
like you to change that. Grapes add a pleasant, subtle taste and hint of
sweetness to many dishes. They can turn the most basic piece of chicken
or fish into an elegant meal for company. This recipe, from a 2005 issue of
Gourmet magazine, took me all of ten minutes to prepare. Ten! Clean your
grapes and chop the shallots ahead of time, and your assembly will be a breeze.
A side of broccoli and crusty roll make this an excellent, tasty, and healthy
lunch or dinner.
Flounder with
Champagne Grapes
Gourmet, October 2005
4 (6- to 7-oz) flounder or sole fillets
All-purpose flour for dredging fish
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
2/3 cup sweet vermouth
7 oz. stemmed Melissa’s Champagne grapes (1-1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250°F.
All-purpose flour for dredging fish
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
2/3 cup sweet vermouth
7 oz. stemmed Melissa’s Champagne grapes (1-1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250°F.
Rinse fish and pat
dry. Season both sides of fillets with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour,
shaking off excess.
Heat 2 tablespoons
oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until it begins to
smoke, then sauté 2 fillets, turning over once, until golden and just cooked
through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer with a slotted spatula to a platter
and keep warm, uncovered, in oven. Add more oil if necessary, and sauté
remaining 2 fillets in same manner, transferring to platter.
Add shallot to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add vermouth and simmer, scraping up any brown bits, 1 minute. Add grapes and cook over low heat, swirling skillet, until just heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove skillet from
heat and add butter, swirling until incorporated. Add lemon juice and season
sauce with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce with grapes over fish and serve
immediately.
This looks delicious! I love how that one grape looks like an eye :)
ReplyDeleteMy son spotted that grape/eye thing as well. It was completely unintentional. It just rolled into place as I was taking photos.
ReplyDeleteThat grape was destined for greatness, then! :) What an interesting and intriguing combination of flavors! Thanks for sharing with us at Tasty Tuesday! I just wanted to let you know that I'll be featuring this via Twitter this afternoon!
ReplyDelete