By Larry Levine –
Here’s a chestnut from a bygone era. It’s healthful and perfect
You have to be of a certain age to remember filet of sole almandine. If you visited an upscale restaurant, a fine dining restaurant in the 1920s through the 1960s you would find this dish on the menu.
Although filet of sole almandine virtually faded from sight more than four decades ago, it remained a favorite of mine. When our kids were in school in the 1970s and 1980s, I would serve it for dinner once or twice a month.
Then I stopped, not for any reason in particular. I just stopped, not just sole almandine but sole altogether.
So, when I was in the market a few days ago, intent on making some kind of fish for dinner and not seeing much that appealed to me, I decided it was time to get re-acquainted with an old friend. I bought a half a pound of Petrale sole, a package of slice almonds and dusted off this old recipe.
FILET OF SOLE ALMANDINE WITH BROWN BUTTER
8 thick asparagus
2 Tblsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup sliced almonds
½ lb filet of sole (2 pieces)
2 Tblsp lite olive oil
Heat a pan for the asparagus. Add the extra virgin olive oil. Wash the asparagus, snap off the thick ends, put them in the pan and toss to coat with the olive oil. Sautee over medium low for 20 minutes, turning occasionally for even cooking.
Melt the butter in a small frying pan. Add the almonds. Toast over medium low heat until the almonds start to turn golden and the butter starts to turn brown. Then lower the heat to low and be careful to not burn the almonds or the butter.
Warm a wide frying pan over low heat. Add the fish in a single layer and turn the heat up to medium low. Sautee the fish for two minutes. Turn the fish to the other side and sauté an additional two minutes.
To serve: Place one piece of fish in the center of each of two places. Spoon the almonds over the fish. Drizzle the brown almond butter on the fish. Place two asparagus on each side of the fish.
