Fillet of Sole with Lemon Almond Sauce

I didn't go to the store with the idea of seafood again but I really didn't feel like boning chicken breasts. I can't serve beef two days in a row, Fern doesn't want it that often. Pork immediately after beef isn't usually applauded either so my choices were bone chicken breasts or make some kind of seafood.  I looked at the fish counter, nothing interesting on sale.  I continued on and in the packaged fresh fish there were a few sole fillets on special.  I recently bought sliced almonds and I had lemons in the fridge so the meal practically made itself. One caveat. Don't buy frozen sole, only fresh.  Frozen sole cooks up like mashed potatoes. Not at all appealing.

I peeled potatoes and a carrot and put the potatoes in a pot to boil and the carrot in a steamer.  When the carrots were half done I threw in some frozen peas.  I had a large frying pan with plenty of oil on medium high heat. I put 1 tablespoon of flour in a plastic bag with 1/2 tsp of salt and some fresh ground mixed pepper. I shook each fillet in the bag to coat it and dragged it in the deepest oil in the pan then pulled and dropped it onto to the dryer side. That way each fillet cooked enough in the deep oil so it didn't stick. When I saw browning at the edge I turned them over.

In a small sauce pot I put a couple of tablespoons of butter and 1/4 cup of sliced almonds. I cooked the nuts until they started to take on some color then I took them out of the pot.  I put a tsp of flour in the butter and cooked the flour taste off.  I added an ounce at most of chicken stock and the juice of half a lemon.  Whisk to smooth and put the almonds back in. Add a pinch of salt and taste. It needed a bit more lemon juice. Taste again, excellent.

Sole fillets cook very fast because they are thin.  It helps immensely to have everything ready or almost ready before cooking the fish. Despite it's simplicity it was a very good meal.