Lemon Sole - Healthy and Sustainable

Low in calories and high in protein, lemon sole may well help you manage your weight. It is also low in fat; too much fat in your diet can make you more prone to developing a host of diseases, including heart disease. It can also provide you with B vitamins, which is a group of vitamins essential for making energy and producing red blood cells. The minerals it contains include magnesium and phosphorous. Magnesium is needed for the production of protein and controlling blood sugar and blood pressure. Phosphorous helps keep your teeth and bones strong.

So we have established that lemon sole can be a healthy addition to your diet. Now let us take a look at some interesting facts about this fish.

First and foremost, just because it is called lemon sole does not mean that it has a lemony flavour to it; nor is it a true sole. In fact, it is a flounder, the family where plaice and turbot belong. Its name may be derived from “limande” or “sole limande”. Limande, which is a French term, may come from the French word “lime”, which translates to “file”, a tool for smoothing metal, wood, and so on. Some other authors, on the other hand, suggest that limande may come from another French word “limon”, which translates to “silt” in English. These explanations make sense, considering lemon sole’s skin texture and where it lives. [Ref: Wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_sole]

Lemon sole can be found in the eastern Atlantic and North sea, where it lives on stony bottoms down to depths of approximately 200 metres. It is a right-eyed flatfish and characterised by its oval body and small head and mouth. Also, its upper surface is reddish brown, with specks of pink and orange and yellow and green. You may also find a prominent orange patch behind its pectoral fins. It can grow up to 65 centimetres long.

Besides being healthy, lemon sole is a sustainable choice. It is widely available and is sold whole or in fillets. It can be steamed, grilled, or baked whole. But, you can also pan-fry lemon sole fillets, which may well be one of the easiest ways to cook it.

To pan-fry lemon sole fillet, rinse it under cool water. Have a plate filled with flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Coat both sides of the fillet with the seasoned flour. The frying pan should then be coated with a thin layer of olive oil. Turn the heat to medium. Let the oil heat until you can start to smell it. Add garlic and shallots, which should be cooked for one to two minutes. Make sure they do not stick or burn by stirring them constantly with a wooden spoon. After that, you are ready to put the floured fillet in the pan, and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over it. Let it cook for 10 minutes for every inch of thickness. Carefully turn the fillet and squeeze the juice from the other half of the lemon over it. As with the other side, cook it for 10 minutes for every inch of thickness.

When the fillet is properly cooked, take it out of the pan. Then turn the heat up to high. Deglaze the pan with a little splash of white wine, and add a pat of unsalted butter. Stir the flour, juice, wine, and melting butter so that they form a sauce, and pour it over the fish. And, just like that, you get to enjoy your healthy and sustainable lemon sole. For fresh lemon sole delivered direct to your door, click here.