To Boil Soles
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Empty the sole and remove the gills and fins.
Clean and wash the sole thoroughly without skinning it.
Boil and serve
Dissolve salt in cold water and submerge the sole.
Simmer the sole for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on its size.
Drain the sole on a fish plate and serve quickly on a napkin, white side up.
Accompany with anchovy, shrimp, or lobster sauce, or cover with Cream Fish Sauce, Caper Fish Sauce, or Lady's Sauce.
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
- Provides the main delicate white flesh, which cooks gently in simmering water and stays moist.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the cooking water so the fish is lightly flavoured as it poaches.
The step that matters
Simmer the sole for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on its size.. Fish proteins set quickly and turn dry and firm when overcooked. Timing by size keeps the flesh moist and tender, and the sole should be served promptly after draining.
“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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