To Boil Soles
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Clean and wash the sole thoroughly without skinning it.
Cover the sole with cold water in a pot.
Add a handful of coarse sea salt and ½ teaspoon of saltpetre.
Cook
Bring the water to a boil.
Skim off any foam.
Simmer the fish gently for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on size.
Serve
Serve with shrimp, lobster, or anchovy sauce and dressed cucumber.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Sole
- The main ingredient; its delicate white flesh becomes tender and flaky when gently poached.
- Cold water
- Poaching liquid that heats the fish gradually and evenly, helping it cook without drying out.
The step that matters
Simmer gently, do not boil hard. High heat makes fish proteins contract and toughen, and can break the delicate flesh apart. A gentle simmer cooks the fish through while keeping it moist and tender.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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