Cat Sole

Makes 6 servings

Fillet of sole is a lovely, delicate, white fish. It is mild in flavor and is very easy to cook. I often make this recipe when I am going to cook fillet of sole for the whole family. Both my dogs and my cats truly enjoy it. You can often find fillet of sole flash-frozen and in bulk at grocery superstores. I buy it in bulk, break it up into smaller sizes, double-wrap it, and freeze it so that I can pull out what I need the night before I cook. This recipe cannot be frozen once cooked, but it will keep in the refrigerator for 2 days if stored in an airtight container.

1 pound sole fillet, deboned
1/2 cup fish stock or water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 2/3 teaspoon parsley flakes, plus extra for garnish
3/4 cup cooked brown rice
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon brewer's yeast
2 tablespoons bone meal

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Put the sole and fish stock or water in a large saute pan.
    Bring to a boil; then reduce the heat and simmer until the fish is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

3. Let cool, remove the sole from the pan, and then cut it into small cubes. Reserve the liquid for another use.

4. Add the olive oil to a glass baking dish. Add the cubed sole, parsley, and rice and set aside.

5. Now it's time to make your roux (a French word for a paste). Add the butter to the saute pan and let it melt
    slowly over medium-low heat. Gently whisk in the flour, a teaspoon at a time, as the butter melts. Keep
    whisking until a smooth yellow paste forms.

6. Start slowly whisking in the milk. Add more milk as the sauce thickens.
    After you have added all the milk, slowly whisk in the Parmesan cheese and salt.

    Note: If you need to add a bit more milk to your sauce, that's okay; sometimes a bit more is needed.

7. Add the brewer's yeast and bone meal to this mixture; it will be thick.

8. Pour the sauce over the fish, sprinkle with additional parsley to garnish, and bake for 10 minutes or until
    melted and lightly golden brown. Let cool and serve.

All About Roux

There are two types of roux: brown and white. The difference between them is that a brown roux produces a brown sauce and a white roux produces a cream-colored sauce. Making a roux can be a bit tricky, depending on humidity and altitude, but once you have perfected the technique, you will find yourself using it time and time again, whether cooking for your pet or yourself.

The basic formula for making a roux is to melt 2 tablespoons butter and then whisk in 2 tablespoons flour. For a brown roux, whisk the flour and butter until a golden brown paste forms. Slowly add beef broth to get the consistency you want for your sauce.

For a white roux, slowly whisk in 1 cup milk or chicken broth the minute you have the consistency of paste, before it turns brown. The trick is to do this over medium-low heat, whisking continuously, and add the liquid slowly as the sauce thickens.