Grey sole is a very underestimated fish. Maybe it is its name “grey” that often puts people off? It is also know by two other (and equally uninspiring) names- Witch Flounder & Pole Dab …..all we can say is that of all the sole the Grey Sole has the most delicate of flavor. As it is so subtle, we suggest that it is treated as simply as possible.
We rarely see this fish at the market so when we were last at Fresh Acres market in Springfield, Massachusetts, and saw they had Grey Sole (caught off the Massachusetts coast), we decided on a dish for our lunch.
It was a warm end of summer day and we wanted something light yet elegant – we always walk into the market and skip right over the produce section until we decide on a protein. As we had decided on the fish, we thought accompanying it with a warm salad would be perfect. The organic baby bok choy looked so great so into our basket it went.
Once home we started with a simple mayonnaise:
- Separate one egg yolk into a bowl.
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of ginger pear vinegar
- Grate (thumbnail size) piece of fresh ginger
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- 3/4 cup of canola (or rapeseed oil)
Whisk the yolk, vinegar and lemon juice together then, whilst still whisking, slowly add the oil until it forms a thick consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
We simply sliced the bok choy in two and then seasoned and cooked in a hot pan with a little olive oil. After about 30 seconds we threw in a few sliced snow peas and added a spoonful of water and covered for about two minutes. We then set aside the pan to keep warm. Next we moved onto the Grey Sole.
Liberally season with salt and pepper on both sides then sear in a very hot pan with a little olive oil. Cook on one side for about 2 minutes then flip and cook for a further minute.
Serve on a bed of bok choy & snow peas with some thin slices of peppery radish and a few dollops of the ginger mayonnaise.
We loved the crunch of the radish and the delicate flavor of the sole. The flavor of the ginger mayonnaise tied the entire dish together making it a lovely lunch.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.