This is the first lemon sole recipe I have published and actually the first time I have tasted lemon sole. It definitely won’t be the last as it now probably my favourite fish- soft, flaky and delicate -I highly recommend it. It’s also a great starting point if you’re not really into fish. The recipe has a lot of butter in it but what isn’t better with a bit of butter?! Again I got the sole from my great supplier, Peterhead Fish Company. If you give their Facebook page a like, you will find a list of delivery times across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Nothing better than local produce caught off the shores of Scotland with free delivery!
RECIPE
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Top Chef
SERVES 2
Ingredients:
For the fish:
- 2 fillets of lemon sole
- Couple tablespoons of flour
- Butter
- Salt and pepper
For the sauce:
- Half an onion, very finely diced
- A couple sprigs of fresh tarragon, leaves finely chopped (you only need 1 tablespoon) and stalks left whole
- Butter
- 250ml tub of Creme fraiche
- 50ml vermouth or white wine
- Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon capers
For the croquettes:
- About 200g leftover mash potatoes (or mash potato left to cool)
- 1 egg
- 1 plateful of breadcrumbs
- A couple tablespoons of plain flour
To Serve:
- Steamed spinach
METHOD
- First, prepare the croquettes. Fill 1 plate with breadcrumbs, 1 plate with flour and 1 plate with beaten egg. Shape the cold mash potato into balls that are all the same size. Dip into the flour, then the egg and then coat in the breadcrumbs. Place in the fridge to firm up for about 10 minutes.
2. Next, make the sauce. Put 2 heaped tablespoons of butter into a frying pan over a medium low heat. Add the onion and the tarragon stalks and fry for about 5 minutes until softened but not coloured.
3. Meanwhile, dust the lemon sole fillets with flour and season with salt and pepper. Leave to one side.
4. When the onion has softened, add the vermouth and bubble until almost all the liquid has disappeared. Add the creme fraiche and allow to bubble and thicken for about 5 minutes, making sure the heat does not get too high otherwise the sauce could split. If it does, add teaspoons of butter at a time and stir well . Add the capers and check the seasoning. The capers are salty so you shouldn’t need much salt, but a good grind of black pepper goes really well. Stir in one more tablespoon of butter until thick and glossy, then take off the heat. Remove the tarragon stalks.
5. Heat a saucepan about 1/3 full of sunflower oil. Heat over a high heat for about 5 minutes until beginning to bubble. Add the potato balls carefully one by one and turn the heat down to medium. Fry for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.
6. Meanwhile, Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. Add a couple tablespoons of butter and allow to melt. When the butter is foaming, add the fish. Fry on each side for about 3 minutes until golden and cooked through.
7. Serve the fish on top of the spinach, pour over the sauce and place the potato croquettes around the fish. Enjoy!
TIPS
- It might seem like a lot of butter in he sauce, but it is needed to emulsify the sauce which thickens it and makes it glossy. Use good quality butter for this, I always use lurpack.
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Tenderstem broccoli, kale or cabbage would go well
