Lemon Sole With Port
Ingredients (Serves 4)
8 lemon sole fillets, about 90g/3 1/2 oz each
juice of 1 lemon
salt and black pepper
1/2 bunch of spring onions
250g/9oz mushrooms
4 tbsp plain flour
4 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
250ml/9 fl oz Tawny port
Tip: Tawny port is paler in colour than the ruby Variety and has a tangy,
sweet flavour. Cheap Tawny is a mixture of ruby and white port and is the
same price as Ruby. You could substitute a medium sweet sherry such as
Amontillado if you prefer.
1.
Rinse the sole fillets under cold water
Pat dry with kitchen paper and put on a plate
Sprinkle with half the lemon juice, season, then cover with cling film and
plce in the fridge for 15 minutes
2.
Trim and wash the spring onions and slice
Trim the mushrooms, then cut into thin slices and sprinkle with the remaining
lemon juice.
3.
Put the flour on a plate
Remove the fish from the fridge and coat each fillet in the flour, shaking
off any excess
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan
Fry the fillets for 2 minutes on either side over a high heat until golden
Remove with a fish slice (wide rectangular spatula) and keep hot
4.
Pour the remaining oil into the pan and fry the mushrooms for 3 minutes.
Peel the garlic, crush and add to to the pan with the spring onions.
Cook for a further 2 minutes over a medium heat and season
Pour in the port
Add the fish in two layers, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and
simmer for 5 minutes until the port has reduced and the fish is cooked.
Serve 2 fillets per person with a little sauce poured over each.
Cooking tip: Fryinig the fillets in a hot pan for a couple of minutes first
helps to seal in the flavours, brown the flesh and make them look more
attractive. By returning the fillets to the pan after the port has been
added, the fish absorbs the sweet flavour of the sauce while it finishes
cookinig.
Serving tip: Small new potatoes baked in the oven with salt, olive oil and
garlic made a tasty side dish.
Serve with a light white wine from Portugal such as Winho Verde.
I always prepare a "green very green" salad to accompany.
Bon Appetit!
Lorraine
The French Canadian who moved to England
This one is from Portugal and one of our favourite also :-) We eat fish at
least twice a week and I always try to prepare a new recipe so that we don't
get bored.
Port, the most famous of Portugal's fortified wines, is produced in the
Douro Valley and exported mainly to Britain, from Oporto. The drink was
invented when wine-makers first added brandy to wines to stabilize them on
their long sea journey to England.
Sample this delicacy of Portuguese cuisine, as fillets of lemon sole are
glazed in a rich sauce flavoured with port, mushrooms and spring onions. Hum
Hum...delicious!
BTW do you know how to choose a fresh fish? there are three main points to
consider when you are buying fish: how it looks, how it smells and how it
feels. Tips from my fishmonger---Look for fish that is bright and shiny
with clear eyes and bright scales. Lift up the gills, the flesh underneath
should be a lustrous pink or red with no signs of discoloration or drying.
Fish should smell fresh not fishy...a delicate smell of the sea is fine but
if you are in any doubt, avoid fish with a strong aroma. When you have
found your fish, do not be afraid to handle it, it should feel firm to the
touch.
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