Whole grilled Dover sole

My favourite fish dish, an all time classic that never fails. Dover sole simply cooked with butter, lemon and parsley. Dover sole can be very expensive, but their flavour is second to none. They are well worth paying for every once and a while, but with that said lemon sole or large whole plaice make a good substitute.

This recipe works so well because it allows the flavour of the fish to speak for itself; it is not overpowered or masked by any other. The secret to this dishes success is the cooking of the butter. Don’t be afraid to cook the butter until it goes a lovely nut brown colour. Once the colour has been achieved remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon juice, this will help to stop the cooking process by cooling it slightly.   

Ingredients

4 whole Dover sole trimmed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4tblsp olive oil         

100g butter

1 lemon, juice only

2 tbsp roughly chopped flat leaf parsley

Method

Preheat the grill to high.

Rub the Dover sole with the olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place the sole onto a tray big enough to hold all four fish, and also one that will fit under your grill.

Place the fish under the grill and cook for 4-5mins or until the fish starts to brown and is cooked through on this side.

Turn the sole over, then place the pan back under the grill for 3-4 minutes, or until this the fish is completely cooked through and golden brown.

Meanwhile heat a large frying pan until hot. Place the butter into the pan and cook until the butter starts to turn a lovely nut brown colour, be careful as the butter can burn very easily, add the lemon juice and the chopped parsley, remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Pour this butter all over the fish and adjust seasoning to taste.

To serve, place the sole onto serving plates, it works especially well with a simple garnish of steamed new potatoes and asparagus or with a dressed salad for a light lunch