Peppered Sole Food

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.

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.

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.

PEPPERED SOLE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Place fillets over mushrooms. Sprinkle with paprika, lemon pepper and cayenne., Cook, covered, over medium heat 5-10 minutes or until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork. Sprinkle with tomato and green onions.