How to Cook Lemon Sole

Co-authored by Amber Crain

Lemon sole is a flatfish native to Europe, where it’s popularly eaten. Pan-searing and baking are the most common cooking techniques for lemon sole. Both techniques are quick and easy to prepare—you’ll have savory, flaky sole fillets on the table in about 30 minutes!

Ingredients

Pan-Seared Lemon Sole

¼ cup (30 g) of all-purpose flour
4 sole fillets
½ teaspoon (2 g) of kosher salt
4½ tablespoons (63.7 g) of unsalted butter, plus extra
1 lemon, ends trimmed, sliced into 12 thin circles
2 tablespoons (23.3 g) of capers, rinsed and drained

Makes 4 servings

Baked Lemon Sole

4 slices of fresh white bread, quartered with crusts discarded
1 teaspoon (4 g) of lemon zest
1/4 cup (30 g) of walnut halves
1/4 cup (30 g) of grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons (23.3 ml) of olive oil
4 lemon sole fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (56.7 g) of butter, plus extra for casserole
1/4 cup (30 ml) of lemon juice
3 tablespoons (42.4 g) of capers
2 tablespoons (23.3 ml) of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 bunches of Swiss chard, leaves removed and chopped

Makes 4 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Pan-Seared Lemon Sole

1
Buy sole fillets with moist flesh and a mild scent. Avoid fillets that have a strong, fishy odor. They should look freshly cut. For the best results, cook the fillets immediately. If you can't cook them right away, store the sole for up to 2 days in the coldest part of your fridge.^{[1]
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- Frozen sole fillets should also smell mild. Look for frozen fillets that are tightly packaged. Make sure there's no visible ice or blood.
- Store frozen sole fillets in the freezer for up to 3 months.
2
Dry the fillets gently with a paper towel. Excess moisture on the fish can cause the flour coating to clump up. Before you coat the sole fillets with flour, gently pat both sides of each fillet with a paper towel.

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3
Place the flour on a large plate. Measure out ¼ cup (30 g) of all-purpose flour and spread it evenly over the surface of a large plate or dish. Choose a plate or dish that is large enough to easily accommodate the length of your sole fillets.^{[2]
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- A large serving platter would work great for this.
4
Season the sole fillets with the kosher salt. Measure out ½ teaspoon (2 g) of kosher salt. Working with 1 fillet at a time, sprinkle the salt on each side. Continue doing this until you've seasoned all 4 of the fillets.^{[3]
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5
Coat both sides of each fillet with the flour. Place 1 fillet flat on the flour-covered plate. Pick the fillet up and lay it down on the other side. Shake the fillet gently to remove any excess flour.^{[4]
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- Place the flour-coated fillets on a clean plate and set them aside for now.
6
Melt 1 tablespoon (14 g) of butter in a large skillet. Use a stainless steel or a cast iron skillet. Turn the burner to medium and place the skillet on top of it. Allow the butter to melt until it coats the bottom of the skillet.
7
Slice the lemon and cook the slices for 2 minutes. Trim both ends off the lemon but leave the lemon peel intact. Slice the lemon into 12 thin circles. Lightly brown the lemon pieces in the skillet, stirring them occasionally as they cook.^{[5]
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- You may need 2 lemons if yours are very small.
8
Add the fillets to the skillet and cook the first side for 2 minutes. Push the browned lemon pieces to the side of the skillet, then lay the fillets flat at the bottom of the skillet.^{[6]
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- Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to work in batches.
9
Flip over the fillets with a spatula and cook for another 2 minutes. You’ll know the fillets are fully cooked when the flesh is a uniform color throughout. The fillets should flake easily when they’re ready to be taken out of the skillet.^{[7]
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- If you’re working in batches, place the cooked fillets aside on a clean plate and repeat the process with the remaining pieces.
10
Add 2 tablespoons (23.3 g) of capers and the rest of the butter to the skillet. Stir the ingredients together but leave the browned lemon pieces to the side or transfer them to a clean plate. Remove the skillet from the heat and turn off the burner. Grab the skillet handle and tilt it so that the butter swirls around the bottom and melts.^{[8]
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- The butter should melt within 30 seconds or so.
11
Plate the fillets and spoon the butter sauce over them. Add 1 fillet to each serving plate. Spoon or ladle an equal amount of the butter and caper mixture over each fillet, drizzling the sauce from end to end.^{[9]
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12
Top each fillet with 1-2 browned lemon slices and serve the dish. Use the remaining lemon slices as garnish for each plate. Serve the sole fillets right away -- they're best enjoyed while hot.^{[10]
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- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and consume them within 3-4 days.^{[11]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Baked Lemon Sole with Garlic-infused Chard

1
Purchase sole fillets that look moist and smell mild. Choose fillets that look freshly cut. Avoid them if they have a strong, fishy odor. Try to cook your sole the same day for the freshest taste. If you can't cook the fillets right after buying them, store them in the coldest part of your fridge for up to 2 days.^{[12]
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- Make sure frozen sole fillets also smell mild. Go for frozen fillets in tight packaging. Avoid any fish with visible ice or blood inside the package.
- Frozen sole fillets will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
2
Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Allow your oven to heat up completely while you prepare the sole for baking.^{[13]
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3
Combine the bread, zest, nuts, and cheese in a food processor. Remove the crusts from the bread, then quarter each slice. Add the ingredients to the food processor and turn it on. Process the ingredients until the mixture looks smooth and uniform in texture. You need:
- 4 slices of fresh white bread
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) of lemon zest
- 1/4 cup (30 g) of walnut halves
- 1/4 cup (30 g) of grated Parmesan^{[14]
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4
Add 2 tablespoons (23.3 ml) of olive oil and process them until incorporated. Drizzle the olive oil slowly into the mixture, continuing to process them with the food processor as you do so.^{[15]
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- Once the oil is fully incorporated, set the mixture aside.
5
Season both sides of the fillets and put them in a casserole dish. Rinse each fillet under cool tap water and pat the flesh dry. Season the fillets with salt and pepper to taste. Lay the 4 fillets out flat in a buttered 9 in (23 cm) x 12 in (30 cm) casserole dish.^{[16]
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- Set the buttered dish aside for now.
6
Melt the butter in a saucepan with the lemon juice and capers. Add 4 tablespoons of butter to a small saucepan and let it melt over medium heat. Meanwhile, juice the lemon. Add 1/4 cup (30 ml) of lemon juice and 3 tablespoons (42.4 g) of capers to the melted butter in the skillet. Stir the ingredients to combine them and remove the skillet from the heat.^{[17]
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7
Top the fillets with the butter sauce and the breadcrumb mixture. Drizzle the butter mixture evenly over the fish. Then sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top in an even layer. Place the uncovered casserole dish in the oven and bake the fillets for 15-20 minutes.^{[18]
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- You’ll know the fillets are cooked through when they are a uniform color throughout and the flesh flakes easily if you scrape the surface.
8
Sauté the garlic and chard over medium heat for 2 minutes. While the sole fillets are baking, heat up 2 tablespoons (23.3 ml) of olive oil in a large skillet until it shimmers. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and 2 bunches of chopped Swiss chard. Sauté until the chard is wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste and remove the skillet from the heat.
- The garlic-infused chard is served on the side, so you can omit this step if you don't like the taste of Swiss chard.
9
Serve the fillets immediately with the garlic-infused chard. Add 1 fillet to each serving plate. Divide the sautéed chard into 4 equal servings and add it on the side of each fillet. Serve the hot sole fillets immediately.^{[19]
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- Put any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 4 days.^{[20]
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