Baked Sole Fillets with Herbs and Bread Crumbs
By America's Test KitchenPublished on May 17, 2012
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves (see note)1 teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)6 boneless, skinless sole fillets, or flounder fillets, (about 6 ounces each) (see note)Kosher salt and ground black pepper 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ⅔ cup panko bread crumbs Lemon wedges for serving
Before You Begin
Try to purchase fillets of similar size. If using smaller fillets (about 3 ounces each), serve 2 fillets per person and reduce the baking time in step 3 to 20 minutes. We strongly advise against using frozen fish in this recipe. Freezing can undermine the texture of the fish, making it hard to roll. Fresh basil or dill can be used in place of the tarragon.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine parsley, chives, and tarragon in small bowl. Measure out 1 tablespoon herb mixture and set aside for bread crumbs, then stir lemon zest into remaining herbs.
- Heat 4 tablespoons butter in 8-inch skillet over medium heat until just melted. Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Set skillet aside.
- Pat fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Turn fillets skinned side up with tail end pointing away from you. Spread 1/2 teaspoon mustard on each fillet, sprinkle each evenly with about 1 tablespoon herb–lemon zest mixture, and drizzle each with about 11/2 teaspoons garlic butter. Tightly roll fillets from thick end to form cylinders. Set fillets seam side down in 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Drizzle remaining garlic butter over fillets, cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake 25 minutes. Wipe out skillet but do not wash.
- While fillets are baking, add remaining tablespoon butter to now-empty skillet and melt over medium heat. Add panko and cook, stirring frequently, until crumbs are deep golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add remaining teaspoon minced garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant and evenly distributed in crumbs, about 1 minute. Transfer to small bowl and stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Let cool, then stir in reserved tablespoon herb mixture.
- After fillets have baked 25 minutes, remove baking dish from oven. Baste fillets with melted garlic butter from baking dish, sprinkle with all but 3 tablespoons bread crumbs, and continue to bake, uncovered, until internal temperature registers about 135 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 6 to 10 minutes longer. Using thin metal spatula, transfer fillets to individual plates, sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs, and serve with lemon wedges.
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 6Ingredients
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves (see note)
1 teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
6 boneless, skinless sole fillets, or flounder fillets, (about 6 ounces each) (see note)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
⅔ cup panko bread crumbs
Lemon wedges for serving
Ingredients
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves (see note)
1 teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
6 boneless, skinless sole fillets, or flounder fillets, (about 6 ounces each) (see note)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
⅔ cup panko bread crumbs
Lemon wedges for serving
Ingredients
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves (see note)
1 teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
6 boneless, skinless sole fillets, or flounder fillets, (about 6 ounces each) (see note)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
⅔ cup panko bread crumbs
Lemon wedges for serving
Why This Recipe Works
For our Baked Sole Fillets with Herbs and Bread Crumbs recipe, we found that rolling the sole fillets into compact bundles eased their transport from baking dish to plate. We ramped up our dish’s mild flavor with Dijon mustard and a variety of fresh herbs and flavorings. To improve its texture, we used a combination of minced herbs, toasted panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs), and butter, and added them to the sole at two different times in the cooking process.
Before You Begin
Try to purchase fillets of similar size. If using smaller fillets (about 3 ounces each), serve 2 fillets per person and reduce the baking time in step 3 to 20 minutes. We strongly advise against using frozen fish in this recipe. Freezing can undermine the texture of the fish, making it hard to roll. Fresh basil or dill can be used in place of the tarragon.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine parsley, chives, and tarragon in small bowl. Measure out 1 tablespoon herb mixture and set aside for bread crumbs, then stir lemon zest into remaining herbs.
- Heat 4 tablespoons butter in 8-inch skillet over medium heat until just melted. Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Set skillet aside.
- Pat fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper. Turn fillets skinned side up with tail end pointing away from you. Spread 1/2 teaspoon mustard on each fillet, sprinkle each evenly with about 1 tablespoon herb–lemon zest mixture, and drizzle each with about 11/2 teaspoons garlic butter. Tightly roll fillets from thick end to form cylinders. Set fillets seam side down in 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Drizzle remaining garlic butter over fillets, cover baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake 25 minutes. Wipe out skillet but do not wash.
- While fillets are baking, add remaining tablespoon butter to now-empty skillet and melt over medium heat. Add panko and cook, stirring frequently, until crumbs are deep golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add remaining teaspoon minced garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant and evenly distributed in crumbs, about 1 minute. Transfer to small bowl and stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Let cool, then stir in reserved tablespoon herb mixture.
- After fillets have baked 25 minutes, remove baking dish from oven. Baste fillets with melted garlic butter from baking dish, sprinkle with all but 3 tablespoons bread crumbs, and continue to bake, uncovered, until internal temperature registers about 135 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 6 to 10 minutes longer. Using thin metal spatula, transfer fillets to individual plates, sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs, and serve with lemon wedges.
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Appears In
Key Equipment
Keep Exploring
My Rating
This is a members' feature.
0 Comments