Dover Sole with Brown Butter
Delicate Dover sole grilled to tender perfection, bathed in a rich, nutty brown butter sauce with fresh lemon and parsley.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 460 kcal
Equipment
- •Baking tray
- •Frying pan
- •Fish slice
- •Paper towels
- •Pastry brush
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 460 kcal
- fat
- 32 g
- carbs
- 12 g
- fibre
- 1 g
- protein
- 42 g
- calories
- 460 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the overhead grill to high and line a large baking tray with foil.
- 2
Pat both sides of the Dover sole thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- 3
Mix the plain flour, fine sea salt, and black pepper together on a wide flat plate.
- 4
Coat each fish lightly in the seasoned flour and shake off any excess.
- 5
Place the fish on the baking tray and brush the upper side with vegetable oil.
- 6
Grill for 6 to 8 minutes until the flesh flakes easily from the bone.
- 7
Melt the unsalted butter in a small frying pan over a medium hob heat.
- 8
Swirl the pan constantly until the butter turns nut-brown and smells toasty.
- 9
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon juice, parsley, and capers.
- 10
Transfer the fish carefully to warm plates using a wide fish slice.
- 11
Spoon the foaming brown butter sauce generously over the fish and serve with lemon wedges.
Chef's tips
Ask your fishmonger to skin the dark upper side of the sole and trim the side fins. Watch the butter closely once it foams, as it turns from golden brown to burnt very quickly.
Ingredient substitutions
- Dover sole → lemon sole or plaice
- plain flour → cornflour for a gluten-free coating
Storage
Best enjoyed immediately, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a warm oven at 160°C fan for 6 to 8 minutes until just heated through.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Burning the butter past the nutty golden stage
- •Skipping the paper towel drying step, which prevents a crisp finish
- •Overcooking the delicate fish under an overly fierce grill
Serving suggestions
Cooked Dover Sole with Brown Butter?
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