Sole benoit
This lemon sole recipe by Martin Wishart makes a far more affordable alternative to Dover sole and is delicious in its own right. The flesh has a more delicate flavour than Dover sole and benefits from being paired with the saline mussels and dry fruity cider.
Ingredients
Lemon sole
- 4 lemon sole , weighing 225g, heads on and fins and dark top skin removed
- 20g of unsalted butter , plus more for greasing
- 4 shallots , peeled and chopped
- 1 lemon , juiced
- 175ml of dry cider
- 600g of mussels , cleaned and in the shells
- 250g of crème fraîche
- 1 bunch of fresh chervil
- white pepper , freshly ground
- 3 tbsp of water
- salt
Method
1
Set the oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6. Wash the soles in cold water then dry them well with a cloth. Lay the fish, white skin side down, on a chopping board
- 4 lemon sole , with head, fins and dark top skin removed
2
Make an incision on the skinless side of each by running a knife down the middle of the central bone, then gently lift the fillets away from the bone by slicing the knife from the centre towards the edge, stopping 1cm from the edge of the fillet to create a pocket. Place an even amount of butter into each pocket
- 20g of unsalted butter
3
Butter an oven dish large enough to hold the fish in a single layer, or use two separate dishes. Sprinkle the bottom of the dish with the chopped shallots and lay the fish on top, skin side down
- 4 shallots , peeled and chopped
- 20g of unsalted butter
6
Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook them over a hot stove for 4-5 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time until they have opened, discarding any that remain shut
7
After 8 minutes check to see if the fish is cooked by inserting a small knife under the central bone. If this comes away easily, the sole is cooked
8
Add the crème fraîche to the fish along with the cooked mussels and their juices. Place back in the oven for 3 minutes
- 250g of crème fraîche
9
Chop the chervil and sprinkle it over the top of the fish then season with a few turns of freshly ground white pepper. Serve immediately
- 1 bunch of fresh chervil
- white pepper , freshly ground
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Sole benoit
