Sole wrapped in prosciutto with bay leaf sauce

Posted on | by Italia Travel & Life

Sole fillets marry very well with Parma ham and combining both with a simple sauce of shallots and bay leaves makes this a lovely main course dish. For guests who don’t eat meat, simply cook the fish without the Parma ham.

Sogliola al prosciutto crudo in salsa d’ alloro

Sole wrapped in prosciutto with bay leaf sauce – Sogliola al prosciutto crudo in salsa d’ alloro

Serves 8

Ingredients
  • 16 slices of Parma ham
  • 16 fillets of sole, weighing about 3½oz (100g) each, or 8 fillets of sole, weighing 7oz (200g) each cut in half lengthways
  • 16 small sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 16 chive leaves (for tying up the fillets)

For the paste: 

  • 1¼oz (35g) capers
  • ½ garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

For the sauce: 

  • 8 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 12 bay leaves, finely chopped
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 handfuls of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 15fl oz (400ml) white wine blended with 1 tsp cornflour
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF or Gas Mark 6). Place the capers, garlic and olive oil in a mortar and grind with a pestle until you obtain a paste.
  2. On a clean board, line up the slices of Parma ham, place one sole fillet on each slice, very lightly brush with the caper paste, then top with a sprig of parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Carefully roll up each fillet in the Parma ham slice and tie in place with a chive leaf. Line a baking tray or an ovenproof dish with greaseproof paper and place the rolled fish fillets inside. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through.
  3. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan, then add the bay leaves, shallots, garlic and parsley. Cook over a medium heat for about 7 minutes, or until the shallots have softened. Add the cornflour and wine mixture to the herbs in the pan. Stir well, add salt and pepper to taste and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
  4. Remove the sole fillets from the oven and transfer them to a large serving dish, or onto individual plates, then pour over the sauce before serving.