Sole with Hollandaise Sauce Recipe (Tongfilets met Hollandaise Saus)
Sole (Solea solea, or tong in Dutch) is usually one of the most expensive items on restaurant menus, but it's not very hard to make at home for a fraction of the cost. This delicate fish is so subtly tasty, however, that it's best not to mess with too many flavors. Keep it classic with hollandaise sauce and some wild spinach. This tried-and-tested recipe is classy enough for a dinner party or special occasion cooking, and enduringly delicious. Look for sustainable varieties of sole, such as ones with the MSC label.
This recipe is from Het Nederlands Viskookboek (or 'The Dutch Fish Cookbook'), and has been translated and adapted for this site and published here with the permission of the publisher.
See Also
Grilled Sea Bass with Garlic & Parsley Recipe
Smoked Herring Fishcakes Recipe
Smoked Mackerel Spread Recipe
Ingredients
- FOR THE CLARIFIED BUTTER:
- 2 cups (250 g) best quality butter (roomboter)
- FOR THE DISH:
- 4 large sole fillets or 8 small ones (aim for 5-6 oz/150-180 g per person)
- Salt and freshly milled white pepper
- 3 tbsp (40 g) clarified butter
- 2 tbsp peanut oil (arachideolie in Dutch)
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb (400 g) wild spinach
- FOR THE SAUCE:
- 4 tsp lemon juice
- 4 tbsp water
- 4 egg yolks
- YOU WILL NEED:
- A cutting board
- A chef's knife
- 2 saucepans
- A mixing bowl
- A frying pan or skillet
- A colander
- A double-boiler or simply place a bowl over a saucepan
- A balloon whisk
- Yield: Serves 4.
Preparation
TO MAKE THE CLARIFIED BUTTER:
Place the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Melt the butter completely, but don't allow it to turn brown. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Skim the foam off the butter with a spoon. Now very carefully pour the fat into another pan or bowl. Make sure that the solid particles remain behind in the first saucepan. The butter is now cleared and ready for use.
Makes about 7/8 cup (200 ml) clarified butter.
Store the remaining clarified butter in the refrigerator.
TO MAKE THE DISH:
Preheat the oven to 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Place the sole fillets on a cutting board and season both sides with salt and white pepper. Heat the skillet over a high heat and add the butter and peanut oil. Fry the sole fillets on both sides. When the fish is golden brown, turn down the heat and fry them for another 2 minutes. Keep the cooked tongue fillets warm in the oven.
Wash the spinach and remove the stems and largest veins. Pierce the garlic clove firmly onto a fork. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir the spinach with the garlic-pierced fork. The spinach is ready when the leaves are wilted and well mixed. Remove the spinach from the pan and allow to drain in a colander. You can help the spinach to drain better by pressing down on it with the back of a spoon.
TO MAKE THE SAUCE:
The best way to make the sauce is by using a double-boiler (this method is also known as au bain-marie), but you can also place a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of water cooking on a low heat.
Put the lemon juice, water and egg yolks in the top bowl and whisk well until the mixture turns frothy. Now slowly drizzle in the butter while continuing to whisk vigorously. The sauce will slowly thicken as you do so. Season to taste with a little salt and white pepper.
TO SERVE:
Arrange the spinach on a serving platter and place the sole fillets on top. Pour over the hollandaise sauce and garnish as you like.
Tips:
Also Try These 10 Delicious Sole Recipes:
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