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)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 542 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbohydrates
- 11 g
- Fat
- 48 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 491 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 23 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 19 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 160 mg
- Potassium
- 525 mg
- Calcium
- 137 mg
- Iron
- 2.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 53 mg
- Phosphorus
- 294 mg
- Zinc
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 322 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 45 mg
- Vitamin E
- 3.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 44 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.12 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.07 mg
- Niacin
- 0.5 mg
- Folate
- 30 mcg
- Water
- 76 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
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.
Troubleshooting
Butter has a bitter, burnt taste
Cause: Butter was cooked too long or at too high a temperature
Fix: Cannot be fixed; discard and restart the butter
Prevention: Remove from heat immediately once it smells nutty and turns brown
Fish skin sticks to the foil
Cause: Insufficient oil or foil not hot enough
Fix: Use a thin spatula to gently pry the fish from the foil
Prevention: Ensure the fillets are well-coated in oil before grilling
Cultural Context
Lemon sole, a delicate white fish, is a staple in French coastal cuisine. Brown butter, known as beurre noisette, is a classic French technique that adds a rich, nutty depth to sauces and dishes. This recipe combines the refined simplicity of French fish cookery with the warming spices often found in more rustic or regional preparations.
