Baked Petrale Sole Food

PETRALE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, paprika, and salt and pepper, to taste.
• Preheat a grill to medium-high, using mesquite wood. Brush the fish generously with the lemon juice mixture and place fish on the grill, skin side down. Grill for 8 to 10 minutes and then brush with more of the lemon juice mixture. Flip fish and continue cooking until fish is opaque and a knife slides in easily.
• Remove fish from heat and serve with fresh vegetables and a starch of choice.

LEMON SOLE

Steps:

• Preheat 2 medium non-stick skillets over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, lay the fillets on a piece of wax paper, parchment, or a baking sheet and blot dry with paper towels. Season the fillets with salt and pepper. (If the fillets tapers down to a very thin tail, fold the tail back to make a more uniformly thick fillet.) Put the flour on a plate. Dredge the rounded-sides of the fillets in the flour and shake off any excess.
• Raise the heat to medium-high and add 1 tablespoon of butter to each skillet. When the butter stops foaming, add 2 fillets to each pan, rounded-side down, and cook, lightly shaking the skillets occasionally, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, flip the fillets with a spatula, and let the fillets finish cooking in the residual heat in the pans, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the fillets to 4 warm plates and cover loosely with foil.
• Add the lemon juice and water to one of the skillets. While moving the skillet in a circular motion, add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, little by little, until melted and a smooth, creamy sauce is formed. Stir in the parsley and thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon some of the sauce over each fillet and serve immediately.

BAKED SOLE FILLET, THE MEDITERRANEAN WAY

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil and melted butter with a dash of seasoned salt. Stir in the shallots, garlic and capers.
• In a separate small bowl, mix together the seasoned salt, pepper, cumin and garlic powder. Spice fish fillets each on both sides.
• Place the fish fillets on a lightly-oiled large baking pan or dish. Cover with the buttery lime mixture you prepared earlier. Now arrange the green onion halves and lime slices on top.
• Bake in 375 degrees F-heated oven for 10-15 minutes. Do not overcook.
• Remove the fish fillets from the oven and garnish with the chopped fresh dill.
• Serve next to white rice or roasted Greek potatoes and a simple Mediterranean salad.

EASY SOLE MEUNIERE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Have 2 heat-proof dinner plates ready
• Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large shallow plate. Pat the sole fillets dry with paper towels and sprinkle one side with salt.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat until it starts to brown. Dredge 2 sole fillets in the seasoned flour on both sides and place them in the hot butter. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes. Turn carefully with a metal spatula and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. While the second side cooks, add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to the pan. Carefully put the fish filets on the ovenproof plates and pour the sauce over them. Keep the cooked fillets warm in the oven while you repeat the process with the remaining 2 fillets. When they're done, add the cooked fillets to the plates in the oven. Sprinkle with the parsley, salt, and pepper and serve immediately.

COLD STEAMED PETRALE SOLE WITH UNCOOKED TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut tomatoes in half along the equator. Place a strainer over a bowl and squeeze out seedpods. Rub seedpods against strainer to extract juicy pulp. Discard seeds. Place a box grater in a wide bowl, and using the large holes of the grater, grate tomatoes by rubbing the cut side against the grater, with the skin side cupped in your hand. When you feel the holes of the grater against the inside of the tomato skin, you are done. Add juice from seedpods.
• Turn on a food processor fitted with a steel blade and drop in the garlic. When it is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides with a spatula. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. Process in machine for 1-2 minutes, until sauce is frothy. With machine running, slowly add olive oil. Alternatively, purée at high speed in a blender for 1 minute, until frothy. Transfer to a bowl, taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in tarragon. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Cover and set aside at room temperature if serving in an hour or two, or refrigerate for up to a day.
• Steam the fish. Prepare the fillets by slapping them - not too hard - with the flat side of a knife, just to break down fibers so they don't curl too much when you steam them. Season with salt and pepper. You will probably have to steam the fish in batches. Brush your steamer rack with olive oil and place as many fish fillets on top as will fit in one layer. If the fish fillets are too long to lie on the rack, fold them over at the middle. Combine about 1 inch of water and a couple of basil sprigs in the bottom of your steamer and bring to a boil. Place steaming rack in pot and steam fish for 5 minutes, until opaque and fish pulls apart when you insert a fork into it. Remove from heat, transfer to a lightly oiled platter and allow to cool. Sprinkle with orange zest, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer.
• About 30 minutes before you wish to serve, whisk basil and remaining orange zest into the tomato sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove fish from refrigerator and pour on half the sauce. When ready to serve, spoon some sauce onto each place, top with the fish and more sauce, and serve.

OVEN-POACHED PACIFIC SOLE WITH LEMON CAPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Oil or butter one or two baking dishes large enough to accommodate the fish fillets in one layer. Lay the fish in the dish(es) and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a small or medium skillet and add the shallot. Cook, stirring, until tender and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the wine to the pan, bring to a boil, and pour the wine and shallots over the fish. Return the skillet to the stove (make sure the heat is off) for later use. Cover the baking dish with foil and place in the oven. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or 5 minutes for each 1/2 inch of thickness, until the fish is opaque and pulls apart easily with a fork.
• While the fish is in the oven, whisk together the garlic, capers, lemon juice and olive oil. You can also mash the garlic in a mortar and pestle and work in the capers, lemon juice and olive oil, though I prefer the capers chopped, even some intact, and not puréed.
• When the fish is done remove it from the oven and carefully transfer to a platter or plates. Cover and keep warm. Pour the liquid in the baking dish into the skillet and turn the heat on high. Reduce, stirring often, to about 1/4 cup - it should be thick - and stir in the garlic and caper mixture and the parsley. Whisk together, taste and adjust seasoning, pour over the fish and serve.

PEPPERED PETRALE SOLE WITH MUSHROOMS AND LAVENDER

Steps:

• In a large skillet on medium heat, sauté mushrooms and garlic in butter for 1 minute.
• Place fillets over mushrooms and sprinkle with the dried lavender (or my posted Lavender Rub), cracked black pepper (omit if using rub), and smoked paprika.
• Cover and cook over low-medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork, adding the tomato slices the last minute of cooking. (The petrale sole cooked a total of 6 1/2 minutes. fyi).
• Garnish each fillet with lemon slices, green onions (and/or chives) and a sprig of fresh lavender. Season with salt, to taste.