Herring in fur coat

Sole à la Walewska

• 3 HERRINGS, cut in pieces
• 400 GRAM CARROTS, peeled, cooked and grated
• 2 APPLES, grated
• 2 BEETROOTS, cooked, peeled and grated
• 3 POTATOES, cooked, peeled and grated
• 1 CUP OF MAYONNAISE
• 1/2 CUP SOUR CREAM
• 50 GRAM CHEESE, grated
• 2 EGGS, chopped finely
• 50 GRAM WALNUTS, chopped

• 700 GRAM SOLE FILLETS
• 1 TBSP LEMON JUICE
• 75 GRAM SHRIMPS
• 1/2 GLASS WHITE WINE
• 1 CUP FISH STOCK
• 1 TBSP BUTTER
• 1 TBSP FLOUR
• 75 GRAM MUSHROOMS, sliced
• 1/2 CUP CREAM

Mix the mayonnaise with the sour cream. Distribute the ingredients in a large dish in the following sequence: potatoes, a bit of mayonnaise; herring, bit of mayonnaise; carrots, bit of mayonnaise; beetroot, bit of mayonnaise; apples, bit of mayonnaise; cheese, last mayonnaise; top off with egg and walnuts.

This recipe was given to me by Christa, my fellow Russian language student.

Arrange the sole fillets in a greased oven dish and sprinkle them with lemon juice. Pour the white wine and fish stock on top and bake the sole 20-30 minutes in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. In the meantime, fry the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Take the fish out of the fluid, keep it warm. Sieve the fluid. Melt the butter with the flour, stir well. Add enough fish stock to make a thick sauce, heat it for 2 minutes while stirring. Add the cream and stir. Put the sole on plates, pour the sauce over the fish and distribute the mushrooms and the shrimps over the fish.

This dish is probably named after Count Walewski. The original version is prepared with truffles and langoustines, this one is affordable for more of us.

Count Walewski the natural son of Napoleon and the Polish countess Marie Walewska, was born on 4 May 1810. Marie insisted that the affaire was purely for the love of her country, she wanted to lobby for the independence of Poland. Click on culinary calendar for more links between cooking and history.