Oddly Battered Sole

We had a later lunch at Magpie's Diner so we didn't feel like a heavy meal. At least, I wasn't planning a heavy meal, it just came out that way. I bought fresh sole at Save On Foods and also picked up asparagus which was on sale. I originally planned on rice but Fern wanted the baby potatoes. So it gets heavier.  I wanted hollandaise sauce on the asparagus and knew it would go with the fish and rice. It kind of looks foreign to the potatoes but that's what the customer wanted. 

I never know what to do with leftover egg whites. A Pavlova eating contest maybe? So I decided to try using them in a batter for the fish. Tempura style, whatever that is. Basic Tempura is flour, salt, baking soda and water. I found a more complicated recipe that included egg so I thought, close enough. I added enough flour for two egg whites and some water. I just added a bit and said,
"that looks good!"

A bit of baking soda and at least as much cold water as egg whites seemed like good proportions. As you can see I made it too thick so they came out a little cakie. The batter and fish were cooked so they weren't bad together. The batter took the Hollandaise well so it worked despite it's shortcomings.

The potatoes were boiled and served with salt and butter. 

The asparagus was steamed in an asparagus steamer once I broke the ends off. (hold tip of asparagus root end. Bend flower end down till stalk snaps. The root end is tough and fibrous. Add to stock pot or compost.

Quick Hollandaise

1/3 cup butter

1-2 egg yolks

salt

tablespoon lemon juice

tablespoon water

Melt butter in microwave but don't get it hot. Slowly whisk butter into egg yolks. Add salt. Add water to lemon juice and whisk into sauce. Taste. Add lemon till it tastes tangy. Add water till it thins. It will thicken as it cooks. Put on medium low heat, whisk till it steams. If it's too thick, thin with water and serve.

If the batter had been crispy it would have been right on target. I'm not sure anything could have made the potatoes happy to be there. The asparagus was perfect and the Hollandaise mouthwatering. It was much too heavy after the lunch we had.  Over eating, even good food, doesn't make me feel better, but I do it occasionally anyway.