Pan Fried Dover Sole (Gluten-Free)

This recipe would probably work for many of the thin white fishes.  Unfortunately, ocean perch curls up and makes for a poor presentation, along with not crisping up at all effectively.  Dover sole fillets tend to be very tender, and fine-fleshed.  Count on one and a half, or possibly two, per serving.

I served mine with a simple watercress salad – my salad topped by a splash of extra virgin olive oil, and a dash of lemon, as I was interested in letting the tangy watercress dominate.  Other salads can handle a robust vinaigrette if you choose.

Deliciously light and easy.

Typically, one makes this sort of recipe using a dusting of (wheat) flour on the fish, but in the interests of gluten-free experimentation, I chose to use rice flour.  Rice flour works well!

Prep Time:  5 minutes
Cook Time:  6 minutes max
Rest Time:  unnecessary
Serves:  2

Pan Fried Dover Sole

• 3 Dover sole fillets, rinse pat dry with a paper towel.
• 1 tablespoon butter or ghee, one tablespoon cooking oil (ie avocado).
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup of rice flour
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 slices of lemon

Use a 12 inch / large skillet.  Otherwise you will have to do as I did, and cook in divided batches.  For ease of manipulation, I’d cut any larger fillets in two.  (This will also yield 1.5 fillets per person.)

Heat the butter and oil in your skillet until it shows ripples, and sizzles upon the addition of a drop of water, medium/medium high.

Place the flour and ground pepper in a large bowl or on a large plate, and mix with a fork.

Take the dried fillets and coat them in the flour.  This will be a thin, fine coat, it should not be thick.

Place fillets in the sizzling pan, sprinkle on half the thyme

Allow to cook on one side for 2.5 -3.0 minutes.

Flip gently with a spatula, and sprinkle on the rest of the thyme.

Cook for another 2.5 minutes and plate.   The fillets should be lightly golden, although sometimes a first batch will be less golden.  The heat will have been high enough that the fillets should not be greasy, and it will have a light, but not heavy, crispiness to it.

Provide a lemon slice or wedge per plate… lemon should not be added except by the person dining, in order to keep the crust to a level of crispness.  A light drizzle as you go suffices.

Enjoyed! (Which I hope I did as I went through about four iterations before I got this right for blogging about!)

Serve and savor!  Makes a great weekend lunch for two.

And don’t forget to visit this week’s Fiesta Friday link party.  Co-hosts this time are Sarah and Liz.