Lemon Thyme and Ginger

Oven-Poached Sole Wrapped in Fresh Herbs

Oven Poached Sole Wrapped in Herbs, recipe.

When I was a young child, Mom rarely made fish for dinner. It was just something we had now and then. That suited me just fine because the thought of eating fish made me cringe. When Mom did cook fish, it was usually sole drenched in Cream of Mushroom Soup, or baked with a sprinkling of breadcrumbs till it was all dried out.  It’s odd to think about because Mom loved sole, especially sole made with the classic French butter and wine sauces, but she never made her favorite sole dishes at home. Fortunately, attitudes toward eating and preparing fish have changed since the 60’s, mine included. Now, I love fish and eat it at least once a week. When I want a change of pace, I make filet of sole for a special treat.

Oven poached sole wrapped in herbs, recipe.

Sole is a common flat fish with tender white flesh filets. The meat has a subtle fish flavor and is very moist. The filets will easily break apart if cooked too long and requires gentle cooking methods. The only tricky part about cooking sole is making sure you don’t overcook it. I discovered from Cooks Illustrated, a great technique of rolling up each filet with a mixture of herbs, then cooking the filets in the oven. This method sways the odds in favor of getting perfectly cooked sole and one I use often.

One of my favorite ways to cook fish is to oven poach it with wine or fish stock, as in Salmon in Spinach Butter Sauce. This technique is not a true poaching method, but also creates steam to cook the fish. There is a layer of liquid in the bottom of the baking dish and a piece of parchment paper nestled over the fish. The parchment paper captures the steam rising from the liquid and cooks the fish. This technique never fails to produce moist and tender fish. It is a perfect method for cooking filet of sole wrapped in fresh herbs rolled up in a neat package.

Oven Poached Sole Wrapped in Herbs, recipe.

Oven Poached Sole Wrapped in Herbs, recipe.

Choose what herbs you like to fill each sole filet. I left that part of the recipe open-ended for you to make it your own. The herbs in a blend don’t need to be in equal amounts either, but it is nice to taste the presence of each herb and not have one herb dominate the rest. If you only want to use two herbs, parsley is a good foundation and either dill or tarragon are wonderful with fish. All the herbs listed have a prominent taste, so keep in mind the other herbs used in your accompanying side dishes.

It wasn’t until I read the cookbook, Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, that I got braver about combining more than one fresh herb in cooking.  I learned from this book that a prominent characteristic in Middle Eastern Cuisine is the generous use of fresh herbs. All these fresh herbs create food that is fresh tasting and vibrant. A classic herb blend in the Middle East is parsley, cilantro, dill and mint and works well with sole. For a French twist use Fines Herbs, it is a mix of parsley, tarragon, chervil, and chives. This blend of herbs inspired my Fresh Herb and Goat Cheese Omelet.

Oven Poached Sole Wrapped in Herbs, recipe.

For special occasions I like to make a sauce with the pan juices. Unfortunately, the butter sauce I made was too rich and turned me off. So, I nixed it and am totally happy about it. This meal does not need it. There is enough flavor between the herbs and fish without adding the extra rich sauce and calories. Save some room for dessert like this Lemon Saffron Syrup Cake. The poaching liquid with the herbed sole keeps the filets moist and has a mild flavor of its own. Use the pan juices sparingly, as a time-saving and healthy alternative to butter sauce. If you want a butter sauce use the poaching liquid from the sole and make the spinach butter sauce linked in this post.

Oven Poached Sole Wrapped in Herbs, recipe.

Oven Poached Sole Wrapped in Herbs, recipe.

Helpful Kitchen Tools for Cooking Sole

Often, I stay away from specialty kitchen gadgets, especially one’s that only have one purpose. They are pricey and take up valuable space. However, a fish spatula, aka slotted offset spatula, is one I highly recommend. The good news is, fish spatulas are affordable and useful with other foods besides fish. This sturdy, thin and flexible spatula slips easily under fish without ripping at the fresh. Regular spatulas don’t have the same ease of use and flexibility as the fish spatula has. I use this spatula every day and often use it instead of tongs because it does not rip up the food. The best rated fish spatula is by Victorinox available on Amazon, and housewares stores. Not all fish spatulas are alike, so I recommend reading the article linked above to learn about the differences between the brands.

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Oven Poached Sole Wrapped in Fresh Herbs, recipe.

Oven-Poached Sole Wrapped in Fresh Herbs

Filet of grey sole is coated in fresh herbs, then rolled up for even cooking. The fish steams in the oven in a bath of white wine or fish stock. This technique produces tender and moist sole filets with delicate flavor. To dress it up, add sautéed mushrooms to the platter of fish just before serving. Serve with sautéed Brussels sprouts, or green beans for a vegetable. Roasted grape tomatoes are delicious with fish. For a grain, try white rice or Farro with Mushrooms but change the rosemary in the original recipe to parsley or one of the herbs in your fish.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Author Ginger

Ingredients

  • 8 filets grey sole about 4 - 6 oz (125 g -175 g) each
  • 1 heaping cup (250 ml) 2-3 types of minced fresh herbs like parsley, dill, tarragon, cilantro, or basil. About 1 TB of minced herbs covers each filet of sole. An additional tablespoon of the minced herbs is used in the bread crumbs.
  • Zest from 1 1/2 lemons
  • 2 ½ TB butter divided
  • 1/3 cup (75 ml) panko bread crumbs, or homemade
  • 3/4 cup (185 ml) dry white wine, dry vermouth, fish or vegetable stock, or a combination of wine and stock.
  • 8 half-moon slices of lemon about 1½ lemons

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C / Gas Mark 4
  2. Butter the bottom of a baking dish large enough to just fit all rolled up sole filets.
  3. Gather all the herbs you are using. Make sure they are washed as parsley and cilantro get very sandy. I used parsley, dill and tarragon but not in equal amounts. Another mix I also recommend is parsley, basil and tarragon, or parsley, dill and cilantro. Mince the fresh herbs and add to a small bowl. Add the grated lemon zest to the herbs and mix to combine.
  4. Reserve all but a heaping tablespoon of the mixed herbs.
  5. In a small bowl add the breadcrumbs and 1 TB of mixed herbs and stir to combine.
  6. Toast the breadcrumbs. Add one tablespoon of butter into a skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the butter is melted, add the breadcrumbs and stir to coat them with the butter. Toast the breadcrumbs until they are golden brown, about 3-5 minutes.
  7. Pour the toasted breadcrumbs on a plate to stop cooking. Reserve.
  8. Lay your sole filets, skin side down on a clean work surface and lightly sprinkle Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper over each filet. Evenly spread about a tablespoon of the herb and lemon zest mixture over each filet.
  9. Start at the tail end, it looks pointed compared to the squared off head end, and roll up each filet. Place each filet of sole into the buttered baking dish seam side down, and arrange the half-moon slices of lemon between each filet. Arrange any extra lemon slices around the fish in the baking dish.
  10. Cut up 1½ TB of butter into 8 pieces and place on top of each filet. Pour in the wine, or liquid of your choice. Add a sprig of one of the herbs you put in the herb mixtures into the wine. Lightly butter a piece of parchment paper large enough to fit inside the baking dish and cover the fish. Nestle the buttered piece of parchment paper into the baking dish so it completely covers the fish and creates a domed cover. Cover the baking dish with a piece of aluminum foil.
  11. Place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Peek at your filets to gauge how they are progressing. Continue to cook until and check every 3 minutes until the sole filets are done. Mine took about 15 minutes, but they could take up to 20 minutes. The filets are done when they look milky white. As the fish cooks the flesh will turn from translucent to opaque and easily spring back when touched. The fish should also look moist. If it flakes apart it is overcooked. You can remove the fish from the oven just shy of being done, and allow the residual heat to continue the cooking process.
  12. Once done, arrange the filets with the lemon slices on a warm serving platter, or on individual plates. Pour some of the poaching liquid over the filets then sprinkle each filet with the bread crumbs and more minced herbs.
  13. Serve immediately.
Filet of grey sole is wrapped in fresh herbs, then rolled up for even cooking. The fish steams in the oven in a bath of white wine or fish stock. This technique produces tender and moist sole filets with delicate flavor.

© 2017 – 2018, Ginger Smith- Lemon Thyme and Ginger. All rights reserved.

Family Favorite: Pasta with Ham and Spring Vegetables

Pasta with Ham and Spring Vegetables, a recipe.

Do you know that feeling you get when the family or friends are together and all is good with the world? It can happen spontaneously by a simple gesture or after a big heartfelt moment. I treasure those moments, the feeling of complete satisfaction and joy. Peace. At those times the little things do add up and are greatly appreciated. A simple “Thank you”, carries a generous statement of gratitude. “You are doing a great job”, gives a small boost of confidence. “I am here”, builds reassurance that you are not alone. Even a home cooked meal gives family and friends a time and place to gather, share show gratitude, promote confidence and feel connected.

Pasta with Ham and Spring Vegetables, a recipe.

Pasta with Ham and Spring Vegetables, a recipe.

I know it sounds cliché, but in our home that moment and feeling would happen when we served pasta for dinner. When pasta was on the table, everyone was happy. A pasta dinner satisfied all taste and food preferences in the family. There were no protests at dinner, even if it did include an ingredient that was not a particular favorite. That offending food would get pushed aside and everything else devoured without complaint. When the, “… What?… Why? …Really?…Again? …I hate that,” dinner drama was not a focal point of the evening, the five of us would be relaxed, the conversation would flow, jokes told, and all was right with the world.

On the occasions when I combined two favorite foods in one meal, that made the evening a special occasion. My children love ham almost as much as they love pasta and a dinner of pasta with ham, (and peas), filled them with joy. Andrew, Evan and Taylor loved it so much, they ate the peas without complaint. If I asked any one of them what they wanted for dinner, pasta with ham was frequently requested.

Pasta with Ham and Spring Vegetables, a recipe.

Pasta with Ham and Spring Vegetables, a recipe.

Now that my sons are independent, they enjoy cooking this meal for their friends and significant others. Often, on a late weekend afternoon, I would get a call asking me how to make this pasta dinner. My oldest son, Andrew, claims that it was after he made pasta with ham and spring vegetables for Amanda, “the woman of his dreams”, their relationship went from casual to true love. Now, Andrew and Amanda are happily married so don’t underestimate the power of a good home cooked pasta dinner.

When it’s pasta for dinner, all is right with the world.

Pasta with Ham and Spring Vegetables, a recipe.

 

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Pasta with Ham and Spring Vegetables, a recipe.

Pasta with Ham and Spring Vegetables

Pasta with ham and spring vegetables is a very versatile meal and one that I adapt frequently. The base of this recipe is pasta with ham, cream and peas, but the asparagus is so good this time of year that I wanted to include it. I have been really enjoying asparagus with leeks and tarragon so I omitted the cream to focus on the spring vegetables and ham. If you are interested in using cream add about a 1/2 cup or less to the sauce around the time you add the ham and peas. The spring vegetable and tarragon combination is a melody of its own, and would be a delicious vegetarian option without the ham. As with a lot of pasta meals, recipes are guidelines and can be adapted based on what odd and ends of vegetables are in the frig calling out to be used. Enjoy!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 - 6 servings
Author Ginger

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pasta penne, farfalle or fusilli are great choices
  • 12 oz cured ham sliced in strips 1 inch by 1/4 inch
  • 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
  • 1 to 2 lbs of asparagus
  • 1 small leek cleaned and white and light green parts sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth preferably homemade or low salt store bought
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 Tbls chopped fresh tarragon plus one sprig of tarragon
  • 1 Tb olive oil
  • 1-2 Tb butter
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

Prep all ingredients before you begin cooking.

  1. Clean and cut off the woody end of each asparagus spear. Hold onto to each end of an asparagus spear and bend it bringing both ends together. Where it snaps off, the bottom portion is the woody tip, discard. Cut the remainder of the asparagus spears into thirds.
  2. Peel the garlic and remove the green germ (sprout of a new garlic plant), then mince the garlic,
  3. Slice the ham to even strips shorter than the asparagus.
  4. Mince tarragon

Cook pasta

  1. Fill a 5 qt stock pot halfway to three quarters full with fresh water. Set the stock pot with the water on a burner and turn the heat to high. Bring the water to a rapid boil and cook pasta according to the directions on the back of the pasta box.
  2. Reserve some of the pasta cooking water when finished cooking.

Make the spring vegetable and ham sauce.

  1. Begin preparing the sauce while you are waiting for the water to boil. Melt 1 Tbl olive oil and 1 Tbl butter in a large 12-inch skillet, or sauté pan. Once the butter has melted add the leeks and garlic to the pan. Add a small pinch of Kosher salt and sauté stirring lightly. Add the prepared asparagus and tarragon spear to the leeks and briefly sauté. Add about 1/2 cup vegetable broth, cover the pan, and braise the vegetables on medium heat for about 5 minutes. The asparagus will not be completely cooked through at this point. You want them to still be crisp with some liquid in the pan. Take the top off the skillet and add the sliced ham and peas. Continue cooking the vegetable and ham mixture at a low simmer, uncovered. This should be around 3-5 minutes before the pasta is done. You are just warming up the ham and peas since they are already cooked.

Putting it all together

  1. Once the pasta is done, turn off the heat, scoop out some pasta cooking water and set aside, and drain out the water through a strainer. Return the pasta to the pot on the stove. Add the grated cheese and a small amount of the pasta water, start with about 1/4 cup or less, to the pasta and stir until the cheese is melted and everything is evenly distributed. Add the vegetable and ham sauce, minced tarragon, and 1 Tb of butter or olive oil to he pasta. Stir until mixed through.
  2. Serve immediately with grated cheese and fresh ground black pepper on the side.

Recipe Notes

1.It is hard to mess up with pasta, with the exception of overcooking it. Over cooked pasta is mushy and miserable. Use the back of the box as a guideline for cooking time and begin tasting a couple of minutes before the recommended total cooking time. Cook the pasta al dente. There will still be a firm texture, but not chewy or raw tasting. The color of the pasta will have an even appearance and there will be nothing mushy or gummy about it. 2. Just like overcooked pasta, overcooked vegetables are a major disappointment. They lose their shape, texture and flavor when they are overcooked. I like my vegetables cooked but still crisp in texture with a bit of freshness left in them. Watch the vegetables and taste for desired doneness.

Pasta with Ham and Spring Vegetables. A family favorite pasta dinner recipe with ham and asparagus, leeks and peas. A delicious medley of spring vegetables. Perfect for any night of the week.

© 2016 – 2018, Ginger Smith- Lemon Thyme and Ginger. All rights reserved.

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