A trip to the fishmonger for salmon, and I came back with two pounds of lemon sole. That’s what happens when you go to the farmers market at 11 a.m.!
I don’t remember ever cooking lemon sole, but i had a sort of a Mediterranean-Veracruzana thing going on in my head, and started poking around for recipes. I found this one for Jamie Oliver’s Baked Lemon Sole.
Jamie’s recipe calls for whole fish, and I had fillets. He called for 1 pound, I had two. So I’ve adapted a little. Though not much. It was stunningly good. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:47]
Baked Lemon Sole
2 pounds lemon sole fillets, in large or small pieces
1 pint red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
8 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 handful fresh oregano or basil, leaves picked
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Zest of halved 2 lemons
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup black or kalamata olives, destoned and chopped
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Wash, dry and lightly score the fish. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, onions, vinegar, salt and pepper, zest of one lemon and a couple glugs of olive oil. Give it a good stir, then spread it evenly over the bottom of a 9-inch by 11-inch by 2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish or lasagna pan.
In the same bowl, combine the olives, parsley and zest of the other lemon. Season with salt and pepper, add a little pour of olive oil. Stir.
Lay the fish in a single layer over the tomato mixture. It may cover the entire dish, and you may need to squish a couple of pieces together.
Cover the fish with the olive-parsley mixture.
Place the dish in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and just moist. You can tell it’s done when it’s opaque instead of translucent, and when you touch the fish, it should bounce back.
Use a big spoon to cut and serve the fillets, and be sure to include both the tomato and olive mixture with each serving.
