Steamed sole with cucumber and shrimps
Steamed sole, crispy fried shrimps, and a brown butter sauce. A perfect light weekend dish.
Ingredients
- 2 lemon sole fillets, skinless
- few tarragon sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ cucumber, thinly sliced into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 30g/1oz unsalted butter
- 250g/9oz peeled brown shrimps
- 2 tbsp horseradish cream
- 2 tbsp crème fraiche
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
To serve
- 10 brown shrimps, shell on
- 50g/1¾ oz plain flour
- vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Season the cucumber well with salt and set in a colander in the sink. Leave for 30 minutes, then rinse and mix with the oil and 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon.
Lay the sole fillets in a steamer with the tarragon sprigs and bay leaf. Cover and steam for 4 minutes, or until cooked through.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter begins to go a nut-brown colour, add the shrimp, horseradish cream and crème fraiche. Cook for 2–3 minutes, then, season to taste with salt and pepper and add the lemon juice and the remaining chopped tarragon.
Fill a deep-fat fryer or a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pan two-thirds full with the oil. Heat to 180C (a cube of bread should turn brown in one minute when dropped in.) CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.
In a large bowl, toss the shell-on brown shrimps with the flour and season well with salt and pepper. Fry the shrimps for 4–5 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Serve the sole with the brown butter shrimps topped with the deep-fried shrimps and the cucumber on the side.