Cooking: Fish/Fillet of Sole · Society of Ordinary Gents

Sage Knaus

1d (edited) • Food and Dining

Cooking: Fish/Fillet of Sole

”Les poissons, les poissons,

How I love les poissons!

Love to chop and to serve little fish

First I cut off their heads,

'zen I pull out their bones.

Ah mais oui, ca c’est toujours delish.

Les poissons, les poissons,

Hee hee hee, haw haw haw…”

~From The Little Mermaid 1989, by Rene Auberjonois (1940-2019)

As promised in comments (and inspired by "A Gentleman in Moscow"), here's my entry on preparing fish; specifically Fillet of Sole, and some general tips.

I'll start off saying that, though I am a trained chef by education (Associate's of Science from culinary arts school) and 10 years' worth of experience in various restaurants and other food service venues, while I'm grateful for the experience and knowledge;

I would never work in that field again, and
You neither require culinary school nor to have worked in the industry to be a good cook.

If I could go back, I would have just learned from the general internet/YouTube and Food Network 20 years ago, but I digress.

Being from the east coast, and having spent a large chunk of my youth in Florida, I was literally surrounded by delicious seafood. Not just fish, but shellfish of all kinds. I'm not fond of the soft shell crab sandwiches where they literally stare back at you, but it's important to know that's what they were before just chunks of meat on your plate.

Fish may be intimidating, but as with anything else, all it takes is familiarity and practice. One of my favorite jobs in the industry was actually working a seafood counter at Publix, a grocery store chain in Florida (and 5 other states, last I checked). It was fun learning how to skin a fillet with your fingers alone, and expertly pluck the bones with tweezers.

Fun fact: You can actually cut up fish skins and either deep fry or bake them into chips.

There really isn't much difference between preparing/cooking fish and beef steaks, or any other kinds of meat. It really all boils down to time, temperature, thickness, choosing seasoning, and preparation method.

MISE EN PLACE

French for "put in place". This is the first thing any mindful cook should do - lay out your prep, cooking, and serving stations along with all the tools you'll need. Prepare (chop, slice, peel, etc.) and measure out your ingredients before-hand into small bowls so all you have to do is memorize the process, and add when it's time.

Example: I pulled out the cutting board and set up the seasoning and flour'ing area and chopped up all the ingredients there, placed the spatula near the cooking range, placed the skillet on the range and added olive oil, butter, and seasonings, had a plate ready with paper towels to place the cooked fillets on, and set up the final station where I plate everything up to serve.

Also, you can wash and put away all the tools you use for prep that you won't need later. Clean as you go. It makes everything easier.

SOAKING

Some fish, like salmon and trout, can be made to taste less "fishy". You can do this by soaking them in milk overnight. Almost any milk works, but I prefer either oat, macadamia, or almond milk. The nuttiness really adds a nice depth of flavor to salmon - especially if you're doing a nut crust.

SEASONING

Pretty simple - All you really do is pat the fillets dry with a paper towel. After that, sprinkle things like salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Old Bay, Cajun seasoning, etc.

DREDGING

This is just a fancy term for adding flour to your fillets (after seasoning). It's not required for every meal, but it adds a really nice crust and golden brown presentation to your product. You can also do an "egg wash" if you're adding a second layer.

Multiple layers?

Yes - Season, dip in flour, then dip into egg wash (basically just whisked eggs), then dip them into something like Panko bread crumbs, or even a custom blend of chopped nuts. One of my favorites that I made was nut-crusted Rainbow Trout.

I did the above example procedure, then egg wash, then dipped the fillets onto a plate of pre-chopped honey-roasted almonds. It was delicious. You can even use something as simple as Rice Chex Mix cereal or even corn flakes (crushed up) as a crust.

COOKING

Once the fillets are seasoned and crusted, heat your pan (usually to medium-high) and toss in your fillets. Cooking times vary, be sure to research ahead of time what type of fish you're using. Some are more forgiving than others when it comes to spatulas versus tongs. Why? Some are thicker and you can handle them like steaks, while others are delicate, and you don't want to move them too much, or they'll break apart.

The goal is to basically make them golden brown, then remove from heat, place onto that plate from earlier with paper towels on them, then cover with aluminum foil to keep them warm while you prepare sauce and sides.

SAUCES

One of the best things you can do for fish is make a sauce in the same pan you cooked the fish in. Have crusty left-over bits? Leave them in! Usually you'll just add 2-4 tablespoons of butter, melt it, add additional desired seasonings (usually garlic and lemon juice), then pour them onto the fillets once plated.

As a tip: The best go-to "sauce" for most seafood is the classic butter, garlic, and lemon juice combination (though I like adding a few drops of white truffle oil). It's especially delicious for crab (especially when mixed with mayonnaise).

OTHER TOPPINGS

Another trick I've enjoyed is, while still in the pan, or before putting the filets in the oven, is simply spread a thin layer of mayonnaise over the fillets, then sprinkle seasoning and even shredded cheese of your choosing, and bake. Makes a nice thin gooey layer on top, and adds a delicious extra layer of flavor.

Another fun topping for a tropical flair was using coconut milk, sugar, Parrot Bay coconut rum, and shredded coconut. I sautéed or baked the shredded coconut separately, and made the sauce in a frying pan, then poured over the fish once thickened, and garnished with the baked shredded coconut (while listening to "Badfish" by Sublime, Stick Figure ("Hawaii Song", "In This Love"), and Slightly Stoopid (random songs) on a custom mix... and testing the rum... for quality control reasons...).

WINE PAIRING

White wines. Period. Their lighter bodies compliment the fish better, but if you find just the right red, it can work.

Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay I'd recommend. Riesling might be too light and fruity, but also depends on the sides you're serving.

SIDES

Basically, anything works with fish. You can do a classic mashed potatoes and corn like I did with mine, or you could do asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, Brussels Sprouts, coleslaw, potato salad, macaroni salad, haricots verts (fancy French for "green beans"), peas and carrots, hush puppies... the sky's the limit, though some pair better than others. Just do a basic search for "best sides with fish/seafood". Could even try out Jamaican, North African, or other non-American sides if you're feeling adventurous.

FILLET OF SOLE

Tonight's specific fish dish was inspired by my watching "A Gentleman in Moscow". Yes, I'm still a culinary nerd. When I hear about a nice meal or wine in a show/movie, I pause it and look it up, then bookmark it for later.

Ingredients:

4 boneless sole filets
Salt and pepper
½ cup flour
8 tablespoons butter
Juice from ½ lemon (cut the rest of the lemon into slices for garnish)
½ cup fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons capers

Process:

Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides.
Put the flour on a plate or a pie pan and press each filet lightly into the flour on both sides.
Put 4 tablespoons of the butter into a large skillet over medium high heat. When the butter is melted and foamy, add the filets and cook for 2 minutes.
Using a fish spatula or other large spatula, carefully turn the filets over. Don’t use tongs – sole filets are delicate and need to be turned with a spatula. Cook for another 2 minutes and place each one on a serving plate. Cover with foil to keep warm while you make the sauce.
Add the rest of the butter to the skillet, along with the lemon juice and half the parsley. Whisk until the butter is melted.
Drizzle the sauce generously over the filets, sprinkle on the capers and the rest of the parsley, add the lemon slices as a pretty garnish and serve!

RESULT

Even as a chef of 10 years, and someone who cooks regularly, yes, I still make mistakes. However, there's another fantastic tool I use in those cases - a culinary journal.

When I was in school, my chef instructors made us record journals of the meals we prepared. This included the recipe, process, and result (with pictures, if possible). This is where I judged my own plate, and thought about how I could improve upon it next time (there SHALL be a next time!).

While I was overall happy with the fillets themselves, I should have let the pan cool more when creating the sauce. The butter ended up being browned, and much of the lemon juice sizzled and steamed off. The sauce is supposed to be lighter colored and not as caramelized.

Caramelized = A fancy word for "turned brown, usually resulting in bringing out the inner sugars of a substance (usually veggies) to make them sweeter and darker in appearance". If you find capers too salty, then this is a good thing, as they'll be slightly sweeter if caramelized.

It wasn't a total loss, though. It still tasted good, but it should have been creamier.

All in all, quite satisfied with the result. I also bought a bag of several frozen tilapia filets, so plenty of chances to practice this on a different kind of white fish in the days ahead.

As always, please feel free to try, and share results.

Bonne nuit, Gents!

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

Though I am an experienced chef, I am not a licensed professional culinary arts teacher. Please always practice safety with all tools and appliances used.

It should go without saying, but clearly do not misuse a knife, do not put anything metal into appliances such as toasters or microwaves, be careful around hot surfaces like ovens and ranges, be careful around cookware that may be hot, be certain to use oven mitts for both gripping hot items and laying hot items onto surfaces such as tables (or else you'll risk burning yourself on said surface).

Always be certain to check your food for spoilage and thorough cooking to recommended internal temperatures as per the OSHA and HACCP standards.

All items and procedures outlined in this and all other cooking-related posts are to be replicated at your own risk, and I, the poster, am not liable for any misinterpretation of instructions which result in physical harm, or harm in any other form.

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