Sole Provençal
Sole Provençal is a dish we prepare when we are on my Foodie Trip in the Provence region of France. I roast some plum tomatoes with Herbes de Provence for a final garnish on the plate and coat the sole with an egg coating that keeps the fish moist. The real star of this dish is the Provençal Tomato mixture with roasted peppers, olives, herbs and lemon.
Roasting Plum Tomatoes:
Core the plum tomatoes (I like using a Tomato Corer/Shark)and cut each in half lengthwise. Place them cut side up on a baking sheet lined with a silicone non-stick mat and drizzle them with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle the tomatoes with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon of the herbes de Provence. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for 1 hour.
Roasting Peppers:
The term “Roasted Pepper” refers to a pepper where the skin has been burned or charred and then removed. I cover this technique in my video on Roasting Peppers. This technique cooks and softens the pepper, gets rid of the tough outer skin and imparts a nice roasted or smoky flavor to the pepper. The most efficient way is to do this over an open flame on your gas range top. If you don’t have a gas range top, you can do it on a BBQ grill or under the broiler in your oven. Once the skin is thoroughly charred, place it in a plastic bag to steam for 3 minutes and simply peel away the charred skin. Cut the pepper in half and remove the seeds and stem. Cut into 1- inch pieces for this dish.
Coating the Sole:
In this dish I encase the fish with an herb-egg coating. This technique is amazing on fish (see my recipe for Flounder Oscar) as it locks in the moisture and creates a light and reliable coating. I also use this egg coating on my eggplant for my Eggplant Parmesan instead of the traditional breadcrumb crust. The sole is seasoned, floured and dipped into an herbed-egg mixture and fried in olive oil until lightly browned.
Making the Provençal Tomato mixture:
The Provençal Tomato mixture pairs well with the fish and the entire dish can be prepared in the same sauté pan. After the sole is cooked, hold it in the oven to keep warm and add Olive oil to the pan. Stir in the sliced onions and garlic; stir for 30 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes, roasted peppers and olives and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining herbs, lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper.
Plating:
Place a mound of the Provençal Tomato mixture on a serving plate or platter and top with the fish. Place the oven- roasted tomatoes around the platter or plate, sprinkle with some herbs if desired and serve.
Sole Provençal
Course: EntreesCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Easy4
servings35
minutes25
minutesIngredients
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 plum tomatoes (cherry or specialty tomatoes may be used)
2 red bell peppers
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and ground white pepper
4 four-ounce portions of sole fillets
All-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
1 Tablespoon chopped chives
1 1/2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
Olive oil for frying
- Provençal Tomatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely sliced red onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted olives (country mix, kalamata or niçoise)
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1 Tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
1 Tablespoon chopped chives
1/2 lemon, juiced
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375-degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone non-stick mat.
- Core the plum tomatoes (I like to use a Tomato Corer/Shark) and cut each in half lengthwise. Place them cut side up on the baking sheet and drizzle them with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle the tomatoes with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon of the herbes de Provence. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
- Burn the skin of the bell pepper (see my video on peppers) over an open flame and place in a plastic bag to steam for 3 minutes. Peel away the charred skin. Cut in half and remove the seeds and stem. Cut into 1-inch pieces.
- Place the sole on a plate and sprinkle with salt and white pepper; gently coat with flour. Crack the eggs in a small bowl and whisk with a fork. Add the Tablespoon of chopped parsley and chopped chives to the eggs along with 1/2 teaspoon of the heroes de Provence and stir in to combine.
- Preheat the oven to 250-degrees F.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cover the bottom with a thin layer of olive oil and heat. Dip the floured fish into the beaten herbed egg mixture and gently lay the fish in the oil to brown, cooking on the first side for about 1 minute or until the egg crust starts to turn light brown. Flip over using a fish spatula and continue on the other side. Remove the fish to a cookie sheet and keep warm in the oven.
- Tomatoes Provençal
- Remove any egg pieces from the sauté pan and return it to medium-high heat. Add the 1/4 cup of olive oil to the pan and stir in the sliced onions and garlic; stir for 30 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes, roasted peppers and olives and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining herbs, lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper.
- To plate, place a mound of the Provençal Tomato mixture on a serving plate or platter and top with the sole. Place the oven-roasted tomatoes around the platter or plate and sprinkle with additional herbs if desired and serve.
