Lemon Sole with Herb Butter

Another Fish Dish Another Day:

My life is not always like this.  I really am very happy to be living off the fish I was sent from Delish Fish – not only is it all great quality, but I have a whole range of types of fish to try. Lemon Sole is a flat fish that isn’t really a Sole at all, it’s a flounder and, rather prosaically, it’s a bottom feeder (that means it eats from food found at the bottom of the ocean floor – nothing more sinister).   It’s not often I get such a treat and for me, the best way to enjoy fish is cooked very simply.

This is a pretty classic way of serving flat fish – sole, plaice or flounders can all be cooked and served with a herb butter and a little lemon.  If you have the whole fish and you don’t have a large enough frying pan, you can also grill the fish, brushing it with a little melted butter first. Either way, you should also remember to cook this type of fish presentation side down first – so, if you have fillets with skin on one side, cook flesh side down first then turn to cook the side which has skin.  Why?  Well, as the fish cooks it will become very flaky.  You want the presentation side to be prettiest and the skin also helps to hold the cooked fish together.  

Apart from remembering to cook it the right way round, really this is as easy as most ready meals to prepare.

Lemon Sole with Herb Butter

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Serves	1
Prep time	5 minutes
Cook time	5 minutes
Total time	10 minutes
Allergy	Fish, Milk
Meal type	Main Dish
Misc	Serve Hot

Ingredients

• 1-2 Lemon Sole Fillets (depending on size)
• 3 teaspoons Unsalted Butter
• 1 pinch Seasalt
• 1 teaspoon Chives (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon Tarragon (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon Parsley (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon Dill (chopped)
• 1/4 Lemon

Directions

	Take 2 teaspoons of the butter and mix well with all the chopped herbs and the salt. Using unsalted butter and adding salt helps to break down the herbs a little bit
	Heat the remaining teaspoon of butter in a frying pan till foaming
	Place the fish in the pan, presentation side down and cook for 2 minutes
	Turn the fish and add the herb butter. Cook for a further 2 minutes or so till the fish is flaky and the butter melted
	Serve with lemon pieces on the side and season with salt and pepper to taste

You can vary the herbs in the herb butter depending on what you have available and what you like.  Traditionally you should include chervil, but I don’t have any…and, I’ve made this with just flat leafed parsley when nothing else was on hand.  If you don’t have ANY fresh herbs, substitute dried but make the butter up a few hours in advance so that the herbs get a chance to soften a bit.

I am  entering this into Ren’s Simple and in Season event, which is being hosted by the Botanical Baker for May because the lemon sole is JUST coming into season, and I recommend making this with a herb butter that uses a mix of ‘soft’ herbs that you have growing in your garden or on your windowsill!