Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Sole
- 2 lemon sole, filleted, skin on
- 15 ml olive oil, liquid
Spiced Brown Butter
- 175 g unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- ½ g cayenne pepper, ground
- ½ g nutmeg, freshly grated
- ½ g smoked paprika, ground
- 30 ml capers
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 140 g brown shrimps, cooked and peeled
- 50 g hazelnuts, toasted and crushed
- 7½ g tarragon, finely chopped
- 7½ g parsley, finely chopped
- 7½ g chives, finely chopped
- salt
- black pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat the grill to high (approximately 230°C/450°F).
Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat until it turns a nut-brown color.
Add the diced shallots to the butter, reduce heat to low, and cook for 1 minute while stirring.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cayenne pepper, nutmeg, and smoked paprika for 1 minute.
Add the capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, and brown shrimps to the pan.
Return the pan to low heat and cook the mixture for 2 minutes.
Stir in the toasted hazelnuts, tarragon, parsley, and chives, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Season the sole fillets with salt on both sides and lightly coat them with olive oil.
Place the fillets skin-side up on a foil-lined baking tray and grill for 3 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 74°C/165°F.
Carefully peel the skin off the fillets and transfer the fish to serving plates.
Spoon the shrimp and brown butter mixture over the fillets and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- When browning butter, watch it closely. It can go from perfectly nutty to burnt very quickly. Swirl the pan frequently to ensure even browning and to prevent scorching.
- For the best flavor, use high-quality, fresh brown shrimps. If fresh are unavailable, good quality frozen ones that have been thawed properly will work.
- Don't overcook the lemon sole. It's a delicate fish and will become dry and tough if grilled for too long. The flesh should be opaque and flake easily.
- Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned, then crush them. This intensifies their flavor and adds a pleasant crunch.
- Taste and adjust seasoning for the brown butter sauce before spooning it over the fish. The capers add saltiness, so season judiciously.
Storage
Refrigerator: 24 hours — Store fish and sauce separately if possible; quality declines rapidly.
Reheating: Gently warm sauce in a pan; microwave fish at low power to avoid rubbery texture.
