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Alaska Sole Piccata with Lemon-Butter Sauce

Alaska Sole Piccata with Lemon-Butter Sauce
Delicately fried Alaska sole with a zingy caper lemon sauce makes for a simple yet impressive meal.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups panko, roughly crushed by hand if very large
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 8 Alaska sole fillets (4-6 ounces each)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Vegetable oil, for frying
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter and a dash of cream (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

  1. Step 1 Prepare the breading

    Set three wide, shallow bowls on a work surface. Add flour to the first one, beaten eggs to the second, and panko and Parmesan cheese to the third. Mix panko and Parmesan thoroughly.

  2. Step 2  Prepare the sole

    Line a rimmed baking dish with parchment paper. Lightly dry sole and season both sides with salt and pepper. Working with one at a time, dredge a fillet in flour with your left hand, shaking off excess. Transfer to egg dish; turn fillet with your right hand to coat both sides. Lift and allow excess egg to drain off; transfer to bread crumb mixture. With your left hand, scoop bread crumbs on top of fish and gently press, turning to ensure a good layer of crumbs on both sides. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining fillets.

  3. Step 3 Heat the oil

    Fill a large skillet with 1/4 inch oil. Heat on high until oil shimmers and is just shy of smoking, about 375F on an instant-read thermometer.

  4. Step 4  Fry the fish

    Working in batches, gently lower fish into pan, laying them down away from you to prevent hot fat from splashing toward you. Fry, gently swirling pan and rotating for even browning, and adjusting heat as necessary for a steady, vigorous bubble, until bottom side is browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Flip fish and fry until other side is browned and crisp, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt right away. Repeat with remaining cutlets, adding oil if necessary.

  5. Step 5 Make lemon-butter sauce

    Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil from skillet. Add wine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cooking until raw alcohol smell has mostly cooked off, about 2 minutes. Add capers and butter, whisking constantly, until butter has melted. Lower heat to medium and continue whisking and reducing until a creamy, emulsified sauce forms. If sauce over-reduces and breaks at any point, add one tablespoon cold water and whisk to emulsify it again. To keep sauce stabilized, you can add in a dash of cream, then whisk in lemon juice and parsley, season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat.

  6. Step 6  Plate and serve

    Arrange fillets on a platter and drizzle with warm butter sauce. Serve immediately.