Recipe: Swampscott Sole with Sauce Mornay (includes Cheez-Its)

Swampscott Sole with Sauce Mornay

Baking time takes this main course slightly over the 30
minute mark, but it's just so easy and delicious! Start the
rice when the fish goes in the oven, prep a salad, and
dinner will be on the table before you know it. Children
love this dish!

Ingredients per serving:

2 fillets of sole, flounder or, in a pinch, tilapia
1/2 cup Cheez-Its, crushed
1/2 cup Sauce Mornay (recipe below)
Nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Begin to
prepare the Sauce Mornay. While the butter and flour (roux)
for the sauce are gently cooking, grease a baking dish that
will just hold the number of rolled fillets you plan to cook.
Dredge the fillets in the crushed Cheez-Its, roll them up, and
secure with a toothpick. Arrange the rolled fish in the baking
dish and sprinkle the top with the remaining crushed
crackers.

Finish preparing the Sauce Mornay. While the sauce is
reaching a boil, put some rice on to cook.

When the Sauce Mornay is prepared, pour over the fillets as
evenly as possible and dust the top with nutmeg. Bake at 375
for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and the fish is
cooked through. While the fish is baking, prep a side salad,
put your feet up for a few minutes, and look forward to a
savory feast.

Sauce Mornay

Once you've made this sauce, it will become a classic in
your cooking repertoire. Makes one cup.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup very, very hot milk (just before boiling point)
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of ground cayenne pepper
2/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

To create the roux (the butter and flour mixture), melt the
butter in a small, deep, heavy saucepan over medium heat.
Do not let it brown. Add the flour, and with a wire whisk,
blend the roux until smooth. Cook the roux for a few
minutes, stirring constantly, to reduce the raw flour flavor.
The roux may darken slightly, but again, don't let it brown.
Take the pan on and off the heat if necessary. Then, while
stirring, add the hot milk all at once. Bring the mixture to a
boil, stirring frequently from the bottom. Simmer gently for a
few minutes as it thickens. Whisk in dry mustard,
Worcestershire, and cayenne. Stir in cheese until melted.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Please note: Sauce Mornay is a bechamel (white sauce)
with cheese added. Although the mustard and
Worcestershire are traditional seasonings, they are
optional. The cayenne is a foodies suggestion.