NEW RECIPE: Lemon - Basil Crusted Filet of Sole with Fisherman's Rice

© Constantine William Spyrou

One of the disadvantages of living at a farm town college far away from the ocean is that it's hard to get a good piece of fish here that is inexpensive. I go home every now and then, and I'd love to get my mom's delicious home cooked fish then, but sadly, the majority of our family has developed an allergy to fish, so it doesn't get cooked in our house anymore. It's really sad, because my mom really was great at cooking fish (among other things of course). This is a tribute to one of my favorite dishes that my mom makes- she will crust filets of sole in flour and then quickly saute them so that the fish doesn't crumble as easily. I loved eating this with her awesome version of fisherman's rice. I don't know exactly what she puts into it, but I hope this version is relatively close. One thing I did change with the fish though: I brushed it with a lemon butter marinade and crusted it with basil and parsley to give it a nice aromatic lift. 

Recipe should serve around 4-5 people

For the Fish:

12-15 Pacific sole filets, skinned and checked for bones
2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to season
Canola oil for frying
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley (no stems!)

For the Marinade:

1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Pepper to season

For the Rice: 

5 cups rice, washed (I recommend either jasmine or basmati rice. Any long-grain will do just as good.)
1 cup thin noodles
Canola oil for frying
4-5 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper to season

Cooking/Assembling:

1. In a medium pot set on high heat, quickly fry the noodles to a brown color using a small amount of oil. Add some chicken stock so that the noodles can absorb it, but not all of the stock.
2. Add the rice to the pot, then the salt and pepper, then the rest of the chicken stock. Combine well, and cook until the rice is done, approximately 40 minutes.
3. On a plate/dredging tray, combine the breadcrumbs, dried basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. In a bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, soy sauce, and pepper. Get a brush ready!
4. Lightly coat each of the sole filets in the breadcrumb mixture, then brush lightly with the marinade.
5. In a medium-high pan, add oil. When it gets hot, add the fish, and cook for about 2 minutes each side or until fully cooked. Serve with the fisherman's rice.

This is a fresh and delicious tribute to my mom and her great seafood cooking which I can sadly no longer enjoy at home. Let me know what you think of this dish, and enjoy!