Lemon Sole with Caper Berries is a simple fish dish, so easy to create. Just add a couple of side dishes and some wine, and you will have yourself a sophisticated Sunday meal.
The lemon sole is coated in flour and then cooked in a skillet until golden. A brown butter sauce is created by combining butter, lemon and caper berries. This process of cooking fish is known as meunière. The traditional recipe calls for cooking the fish in butter and finishing off with chopped parsley. For this recipe, I cooked the fish in oil first and then created the brown butter sauce, as so many perfer to avoid foods cooked in butter. Also, I nixed the parsley and replaced with caper berries for a nice twist on tradition. Caper berries, not to confused with capers — the tiny buds from the same shrub, are very tasty. They have a fleshy consistency with an obvious saltiness to them, so don’t be tempted to add extra salt to this recipe.
Lemon sole is a very delicate dish, it melts in your mouth with a pleasing simplicity. To avoid overpowering this dish I usually serve it with steamed vegetables. For a heartier meal, I add a few crispy potatoes.
When enjoying Lemon Sole with Caper Berries, a gorgeous glass of wine is a must. If you are a regular visitor to my blog, you will know that I am very fond of a glass of Chardonnay or two. Sauvignon Blanc is the more appropriate pairing for this dish, but I usually go with Chablis. Apologies for my Philistinian ways.
Lemon Sole with Caper Berries would be superb as part of an Easter meal. It’s lemony, buttery richness makes this dish feel like a celebration in the mouth. Why not add it to your menu this year.
Lemon Sole with Caper Berries
Ingredients
- 1 lb lemon sole fillets
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 8 caper berries sliced in half
Equipment & Utensils
- Large skillet
- Paper towels
- Aluminum foil
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry sole fillets.
- Whisk together, salt, pepper and flour, then sprinkle over fillets until completely coated.
- Gently tap flour to stick and shake off excess.
- Heat oil in skillet on high, and once hot carefully add sole fillets.
- Cook on each side for approx. 2 mins, at which time they should be golden.
- Set sole fillets aside and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Allow skillet to cool a little, then wipe clean with paper towels.
- Heat skillet on high once more then add butter.
- Just before the butter has completely melted add lemon zest and juice.
- Lower heat to medium and stir to combine.
- Add caper berries, and allow the berries to heat through and flavor release.
Serving Option One
- Lower the heat to low, then add sole fillets to skillet and pour butter sauce and capers on top. Serve immediately.
Serving Option Two
- Place at least one large fillet on each plate then apply a generous drizzle or two of brown butter sauce.
