Lemon Sole with Burnt Butter, Nori, and Fried Capers from NOPI
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Photograph by Jonathan Lovekin
By Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully
Lemon Sole with Burnt Butter, Nori, and Fried Capers
Serves 4
When Scully worked at Bathers’ Pavilion on Balmoral Beach in Sydney, he learned many things about life in the kitchen. The Australian restaurant rating system gives out hats (rather than stars) for outstanding places to eat and Bathers’ was a three-hat joint. Scully had worked in many kitchens elsewhere, but this, with its solid tile-top work surface and homemade butter, was in a different league. The hours were long, the head chef tough, the cooking traditional French, and the learning curve steep. It was here that Scully made his first ever tomato concassé (in the kitchens he’d worked in before, it was called passata and it came from a jar) and shucked his first oyster. Getting to the restaurant each day required a long walk up a steep hill overlooking the sea, which also taught Scully that fish never tastes better than when you’re eating it while looking out at the sea. For those not privy to a view of the waves, we’ve ground up some nori seaweed instead, so that you can at least close your eyes and pretend.
About ½ cup sunflower oil, for frying
2 ounces capers, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
4 whole cleaned lemon soles (3 ½ pounds), skin removed, patted dry
2 tablespoons olive oil
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, roughly cut into 1 ¼-inch cubes
2 ½-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated (1 ¾ ounces)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 sheet nori seaweed, ground in a spice grinder to form 1 tablespoon fine powder
1/3 ounce parsley, finely chopped
1 lemon, quartered, to serve
Coarse sea salt and black pepper
Pour enough sunflower oil into a small saucepan so that it rises ¾ inch up the side of the pan. Place over high heat and, when hot, carefully (the oil will spit!) add the capers and fry for 1 minute, until crisp and starting to brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a paper towel–lined plate and set aside until ready to use.
Preheat the broiler to its highest setting. Lay out the fish on a large foil-lined baking sheet, head side down, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt. Turn them over, brush with the olive oil, and evenly sprinkle over another 1 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes, until cooked, then keep somewhere warm until ready to serve.
While the fish is boiling, place the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until it starts to foam, turns a light brown color, and begins to smell nutty. Remove from the heat and stir in the ginger, lemon juice, seaweed, and parsley.
To serve, spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons of the butter sauce onto each plate and dot with a few fried capers. Place the fish on top, followed by the remaining sauce and capers, spread out along the fish. Serve at once, with the lemon wedges.
Reprinted with permission from NOPI: The Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully (Ten Speed Press).
NOPI: The Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully.
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More delicious fish recipes:
Creamy Lemon Potatoes with Herby Salmon from ‘Deliciously Dairy Free’
Baja Fish Tacos from ‘Tex-Mex From Scratch
Roasted Halibut with Tomato-Caper Relish from ‘Endless Summer Cookbook’
