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Oven-Poached Sole Wrapped in Fresh Herbs
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 
Filet of grey sole is coated in fresh herbs, then rolled up for even cooking. The fish steams in the oven in a bath of white wine or fish stock. This technique produces tender and moist sole filets with delicate flavor. To dress it up, add sautéed mushrooms to the platter of fish just before serving. Serve with sautéed Brussels sprouts, or green beans for a vegetable. Roasted grape tomatoes are delicious with fish. For a grain, try white rice or Farro with Mushrooms but change the rosemary in the original recipe to parsley or one of the herbs in your fish.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Ginger
Ingredients
  • 8 filets grey sole about 4 - 6 oz (125 g -175 g) each
  • 1 heaping cup (250 ml) 2-3 types of minced fresh herbs like parsley, dill, tarragon, cilantro, or basil. About 1 TB of minced herbs covers each filet of sole. An additional tablespoon of the minced herbs is used in the bread crumbs.
  • Zest from 1 1/2 lemons
  • 2 ½ TB butter divided
  • 1/3 cup (75 ml) panko bread crumbs, or homemade
  • 3/4 cup (185 ml) dry white wine, dry vermouth, fish or vegetable stock, or a combination of wine and stock.
  • 8 half-moon slices of lemon about 1½ lemons
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C / Gas Mark 4
  2. Butter the bottom of a baking dish large enough to just fit all rolled up sole filets.
  3. Gather all the herbs you are using. Make sure they are washed as parsley and cilantro get very sandy. I used parsley, dill and tarragon but not in equal amounts. Another mix I also recommend is parsley, basil and tarragon, or parsley, dill and cilantro. Mince the fresh herbs and add to a small bowl. Add the grated lemon zest to the herbs and mix to combine.
  4. Reserve all but a heaping tablespoon of the mixed herbs.
  5. In a small bowl add the breadcrumbs and 1 TB of mixed herbs and stir to combine.
  6. Toast the breadcrumbs. Add one tablespoon of butter into a skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the butter is melted, add the breadcrumbs and stir to coat them with the butter. Toast the breadcrumbs until they are golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.
  7. Pour the toasted breadcrumbs on a plate to stop cooking. Reserve.
  8. Lay your sole filets, skin side down on a clean work surface and lightly sprinkle Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper over each filet. Evenly spread about a tablespoon of the herb and lemon zest mixture over each filet.
  9. Start at the tail end, it looks pointed compared to the squared off head end, and roll up each filet. Place each filet of sole into the buttered baking dish seam side down, and arrange the half-moon slices of lemon between each filet. Arrange any extra lemon slices around the fish in the baking dish.
  10. Cut up 1½ TB of butter into 8 pieces and place on top of each filet. Pour in the wine, or liquid of your choice. Add a sprig of one of the herbs you put in the herb mixtures into the wine. Lightly butter a piece of parchment paper large enough to fit inside the baking dish and cover the fish. Nestle the buttered piece of parchment paper into the baking dish so it completely covers the fish and creates a domed cover. Cover the baking dish with a piece of aluminum foil.
  11. Place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Peek at your filets to gauge how they are progressing. Continue to cook until and check every 3 minutes until the sole filets are done. Mine took about 15 minutes, but they could take up to 20 minutes. The filets are done when they look milky white. As the fish cooks the flesh will turn from translucent to opaque and easily spring back when touched. The fish should also look moist. If it flakes apart it is overcooked. You can remove the fish from the oven just shy of being done, and allow the residual heat to continue the cooking process.
  12. Once done, arrange the filets with the lemon slices on a warm serving platter, or on individual plates. Pour some of the poaching liquid over the filets then sprinkle each filet with the bread crumbs and more minced herbs.
  13. Serve immediately.