Sole Almondine

The fish counter had fresh sole on special and what's fast, easy and always impresses? Sole Almondine! The fillets were larger than usual and had a few short small bones that could not be gotten out.  I decided to just leave them and see if they cook out. I know I had a few bones in my fish but I didn't encounter any while eating, so I guess with sole, the bones can be ignored.  Mashed potatoes and vegetables round out the meal.  The vegetables were microwaved, some habits are hard to break, but I did squeeze fresh lemon juice on them just before serving.

The almonds I lightly cooked in some butter before making the sauce.  The sauce was simply a little more oil and a pad of butter with a shake of flour in it.  Cook the flour taste off then add a splash of chicken stock and juice of half a lemon and a good dash of salt. If it's too thick add a little chicken stock and taste to see if it now needs more lemon.  It will impart flavor to the fish so it must taste good!

The fillets I cut in half to make them manageable and dredged them in salted flour before putting in a hot oiled and buttered pan. I should have my pan a little hotter next time so they get a bit browner. The sole is so thin that it cooks in a minute so next time I will have my starch and vegetables ready when the fish goes in the pan. My timing was bad and I had to put the fish in the oven for a couple of minutes while I finished the vegetables and potatoes. I felt it got a little soggy waiting so as soon as the fish is done get it on the plates and in front of the diners, it doesn't like to wait.