Baked lemon sole with ginger chilli butter sauce is a savoury, succulent fish packed with complex flavours and just the right amount of kick. Served with a simple Asian slaw salad, this healthy lemon sole recipe is quick and easy to prepare for a midweek meal or your next dinner party.
Jump to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Ingredients | 📷 How To Make | 🥗Serving Suggestions | 📝 Go To Full Recipe |🐟 More Healthy Fish Recipes
Baked Lemon Sole Recipe
Infused with zesty lime and topped with fiery ginger and chili butter sauce, this baked lemon sole dish is sure to awaken your taste buds and leave you feeling satisfied and nourished.
And to balance things out, I served this fish dish with a refreshing slaw salad loaded with crisp veggies and tangy dressing. A side of rice or quinoa will make it even more satiating and energy-dense.
This baked lemon sole recipe is healthy, gluten-free, low-carb, paleo and Whole30 friendly (use ghee instead of butter).
What Is Sole Fish?
Let me tell you about the marvelous fish known as the sole! These fish are typically flat and oval-shaped, with both eyes on one side of their head. They are usually brown or gray in color, with a smooth, slightly slimy skin.
They are found in oceans all around the world and highly sought after by chefs and foodies alike for its delicate and sweet taste, and tender texture.
There are many different types of sole out there, each with their own unique qualities. You’ve got your Dover sole, lemon sole, petrale sole, and more! These fish are like ninja warriors, sneaking around the ocean floor with their eyes all on one side of their head.
Sole is a popular ingredient in many different types of cuisine, including French, Italian, and Asian. You can grill it up, bake it, fry it, or poach it to perfection. And when it comes to seasoning, a little bit of butter, lemon, herbs, or white wine can really bring out the best in this tasty fish.
Cooking Lemon Sole
You can buy sole as fillets or a whole fish. I really like cooking the sole fish whole, either pan fried or baked, with some delicious sauce on the side. I am using lemon sole for this recipe.
I asked my fishmonger to make a deep slit in the middle of the sole so I could stuff it with some ginger and lime. I then used a small sharp knife to cut the flesh on each side of the slit away from the bone, so you have two little pockets. Make sure to ask you fishmonger to clean the scales, unless you know how to do it.
This recipe is for cooking one large whole lemon sole or 2 small ones or 2 fillets. This is enough for two servings when served with a side dish like salad or/and rice or some qunoa and vegetables.
The flesh of the fish is delicate and mild and goes well with some strong flavours like lemon and capers. For this recipe, I am using bold flavours of ginger, chilii and lime to compliment the delicate sole flesh.
You can use butter or ghee as the base for the sauce, which mellows out those strong ingredients and gives you that gorgeous, rich flavour.
What To Serve With Lemon Sole
This lemon sole recipe is inspired by Asian cuisine and uses ingredients like ginger and fish sauce, so it works well with side dishes like rice, noodles, stir-fried vegetables or fresh, herby salad.
It would also work well with cooked quinoa, cauliflower rice or sweet potatoes. I’ve included ingredients and instructions for an Asian-inspired slaw salad I served with this fish.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cooked & Loved
Ingredients
- 1 large whole sole or 2 fillets, you want about 250-300 grams or 8-9 oz. of fish
- 1 whole lime
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoon butter or ghee
- 5-6 round slices of long red chilli
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- A little sea salt
- 1 tablespoon diced spring onion or chives for garnish
For the Asian slaw
- 2 cups cabbage sliced or grated, white
- 1 small carrot grated
- 2 tablespoon green onions diced
- Small handful of fresh coriander leaves cilantro
- Juice of 1/2 lime about 1 tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- A pinch of chilli or black pepper
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC / 400ºF.
- Make a long slit in the middle of the fish and cut inside the flesh, peeling it away from the bone to create a little pocket on each side. See Cooking With Lemon Sole notes above.
- Grate about half a teaspoon worthh of lemon zest, and cut 2-3 thin slices to insert inside the fish.
- Sprinkle the sole with a little sea salt on each side. Stuff the ginger and lime slices inside the flesh pockets on one side of the fish and place it on an oven tray lined with lightly grease baking paper (you can use a little butter/ghee or olive oil).
- Place fish in the oven and cook for 13-15 minutes, depending on the size of the fish. I think I did mine for 13 minutes at 200ºC
- In the meantime, add butter to a medium frying pan and bring to medium-high heat. Add ginger and chilli and cook until golden brown and slightly crispy, a couple of minutes. Add lime zest, juice of half a lime, and fish sauce. Stir through and take off the heat.
- Prepare the Asian slaw by combining all dressing ingredients together and tossing them through the salad.
- Remove sole from the oven and pour over the butter sauce with ginger and chillies. Sprinkle with diced ghreen onions and a little extra sea salt. You can also drizzle more lime juice or serve a wedge of lime on the side. Serve with the Asian slaw or a side of favourite vegetables.
What a great looking dish! I love sole and this is a delicious looking recipe. They are peculiar fish but so edible! Thanks for sharing this recipe. 🙂
I know, they look funny so people avoid it but the flesh is most delicate.