With a heatwave forecast for this weekend it’s time to enjoy some refreshing chilled wines and summer recipes. Pan-fried Lemon Sole is a delicious dish and there are a few wines I can recommend to accompany the delicate, sweet white flesh of this fish.
Lemon Sole has been highly rated for centuries – the name ‘sole’ was given to this species of fish by the Romans as its shape is similar to that of a Roman sandal (solea is Latin for sandal). There are a couple of ideas as to where the ‘Lemon’ part of the name comes from.
Some say its because the fish has yellowish flecks on its scales which differentiate it from the Dover Sole and others say that it comes from the French word ‘limon‘ meaning silt (the fish live on the sandy bottoms of seas around northern Europe).
Pan-Fried Lemon Sole with Capers
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 tbsp plain flour
4 sole fillets
2oz, 50 g unsalted butter
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 tbsp capers, drained
Method:
Place the flour on a plate, season and coat the fish on both sides. Melt some of the butter in a large frying and add the lemon, cooking until lightly browned – about 2 minutes.
Push the lemon to the sides and add the fish, cooking over a medium heat for 2 minutes on each side. Add the remaining butter and capers.
Transfer the fish and lemon to the serving plates and pour over the buttery capers.
Serve immediately with green beans and new potatoes.
Wine Matching
Chateau Ballan Larquette Rosé 2010 £8.99
Good refreshing acidity whilst being smooth and supple in the mouth. Rounded and fragrant with notes of earthy ripe strawberry, red cherry, orange zest, sweet hay and spice.
Chateau Roques du Mauriac Rose 2011 £8.20
Mouth wateringly, crisp, rich and alluring. Roques du Mauriac is aromatic and well balanced with the flavours of redcurrant, raspberry, strawberry, pomegranate and cranberry.
Chateau Ballan Larquette 2011(£8.99)
Light, bright and elegant with good structure, acidity and balance – and a long finish. Ballan Larquette has notes of lime, apple, white peach and pear with a hint of chalky minerality, honeysuckle and dried herbs.
Chateau Le Rondailh 2011(£9.45)
Full of character, pure, fresh and well balanced, Le Rondailh has flavours of ripe pears, lemon, lime flowers and red gooseberries with subtle nuances of melon and passion fruit.
Chateau Mayne Pargade 2010 £8.45
Very aromatic with notes of sweet summer hay, fragrant broom blossom and beeswax. Mayne Pargade has good crisp acidity, great structure and balance with flavours of pear, quince and lime.
Montagnac Sauvignon Blanc 2010 /11 £6.85
Packed with flavours of zesty lemon, herbs, flint and spice, and a touch of caramel and crystallised fruit. Soft but certainly not creamy, with superb balance and a very decent length.
