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Sole Piccata

Petrale sole fillets, dusted in flour, sautéed in olive oil and served with a sauce of white wine, lemon juice, capers, parsley and butter.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Sole Piccata
Elise Bauer

Don't you love petrale sole?

Such a lovely light and delicate fish. I couldn't resist picking up a few fillets today at the market.

A classic piccata is a great way to prepare sole, or any small flat fish such as flounder or fluke.

Just lightly dust the fillets in seasoned flour, fry them on both sides until nicely browned, and serve them with a sauce made with white wine, capers, butter, and parsley. Enjoy!

Sole Piccata

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Servings 4 servings
This recipe calls for petrale sole, but any small flat fish fillet will work. Other good choices are flounder, fluke, small walleye or perch, rock cod, catfish or crappie. The recipe will work best with fillets that are 3/8-inch to 1/2 inch thick. Have everything ready before you start cooking the fish, as the recipe comes together very quickly.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound thin, skinless fish fillets
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup flour for dredging
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup small capers
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Method

  1. Dredge fillets in flour:

    Rinse the fish in cold water and pat them dry. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper. Then place the flour mixture in a long shallow bowl or dish. Dredge the fillets in the flour so that both sides are lightly coated.

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    Elise Bauer
  2. Fry fillets until golden:

    Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large stick-free sauté pan.

    When the oil is hot (add a little pinch of flour to the oil, and if it sizzle immediately, you're ready), work in batches and place the fish fillets in the pan in one layer and fry until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Add more oil to the pan if needed.

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    Elise Bauer
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    Elise Bauer
  3. Remove fish to a paper-towel lined plate:

    Once browned on both sides, remove the fish fillets from the pan, set them on a paper towel-lined plate (or keep them warm in a 200°F oven).

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    Elise Bauer
  4. Deglaze pan with wine:

    Add the white wine to the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

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    Elise Bauer
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    Elise Bauer
  5. Add lemon juice and capers:

    Let the wine boil furiously for a minute or two, until greatly reduced, then add the lemon juice and capers. Boil another minute.

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    Elise Bauer
  6. Swirl in butter:

    Turn off the heat. Add 1 Tbsp of butter to the pan, swirling it constantly. When it melts, repeat the process with the other tablespoon of butter.

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    Elise Bauer
  7. Serve:

    Stir in half of the parsley and pour it over the fish. Sprinkle the fish with the remaining parsley. Serve at once.

Links:

Cod Piccata, from Elena's Pantry

Sole Meuniere, from Leite's Culinaria

Sole Roulades, from La Tartine Gourmande

Sole Piccata
Elise Bauer