How to avoid rock hard texture when cooking sole?

[Anders]

Last week i got my first sole and decided to fry it up in the pan in butter, which usually works well with most flatfish and fillets from other fish. Turns out it was a bad idea with the sole. The meat turned rock hard on me before it had let go of the bone and although it was relatively tasty, the texture was rather unappealing. Many of you UK guys seem to love the sole, so you must have some good pointers on preparation. Any tips on how to keep the sole from deserving its name?

 

[devondave]

OK, here's my take.
Not everyone likes this method but . . .
Clean the fish, clean it really well, take the gills out, wipe out the blood from inside the gut and head and wipe off all the slime.
Place the fish on a bed of ice on a plate, cover the whole thing in cling film and put in the coldest spot in the fridge (turn the fridge down.)
Leave the fish for two or three days, change the ice as necessary.

Before cooking let the fish come back to room temperature and dry it.
Now it will have a softer texture and much better flavour, it will never go flaky soft like a plaice or flounder but at least now it wont squeak when you bite into it.
Also the skin will be easier to peal off if you wanted skinless fillets or whole fish.

 

[agbiv]

Hmmmm interesting on the "aging" on ice. I also clap the top on the stainless skillet so's to pan sear/fry AND add a little steam into the mix. That's why I through a few chunks of onion in before clapping on the top.

 

[Anders]

Interesting tips guys, thanks!
When I cooked it I did so with the lit on and off and it had been in the fridge for about 24 hrs at about 4 degrees. That is quite a bit warmer than on ice, so I'll see if that helps if I ever manage to get another sole.

 

[devondave]

Guru on things fishy H.F.W recommends 48hrs under a damp cloth in a cold fridge.
'In order to release it's exceptional, well-rounded flavour and become tender enough to be palatable.'
He also says a well handled fish is good for a week or more (never tried that though.)

 

[Tody]

I never had that problem with soles. Before i tried to cook my first i tried to get the skin of. I was a disaster. So i a friend gave me the tip to freeze it for 2 few days. and the skin got off very easy after that. So perhaps freezing helps also with the hard flesh.

BTW in south norway there are some good spots to find soles. I will try it in july.

Tobi

 

[Anders]

Thanks a gain for the tips, I'm keen on finding another sole to try them out!
I guess what you're all saying is that the sole needs to have a break down in structure muscle structure or mature/age for some time, just like most meats, but unlike most fish..

 

[devondave]

agbiv is the expert on this, but I'm pretty sure most fish sold is not 'fresh' as we would understand the concept.
Storage methods mean fish can be kept in good condition for anything up to 14 days, we're not talking about freezing here, just keeping wet fish.

Even for us lucky few who have access to fresh fish, knowing how to store it or when to eat it is a complex subject.

I'll put a couple of examples and see how others, particularly chief Al, feel about them.
Mackerel, sardines and oily fish eat as fresh as possible.
Mullet eat the same day.
Bass leave for 24hrs. (controversial.)
Cod and Pollock same day.
Plaice, flounder, dab, lemon sole same day.
Sole, turbot,halibut and rays two or three days.
Shellfish must be alive.

Not a black and white thing, just my idea of when is the optimum time to cook them.

Of course others may have different ideas and opinions.
This is such an important subject and should be discussed a lot more than it is.
What is the point in having the finest ingredients possible and then not enjoying them at their best?

 

[agbiv]

Unfrozen fish has a "shelf life" of 14 days from date of harvest. This degrades when kept at tempuratures above 32'F/0'F. Not frozen--just at.

Frozen fish in our markets slacked out (thawed) get a 3 day shelf life.
Never re-freeze due to possible bacterial growth and loss of texture & moisture.

So the rule -- fresh within 2-3 days & keep frozen until just before use! :friday

 

[Anders]

A couple of months back I managed to bag another couple of soles.
I let them sit in the fridge wrapped in plastic for roughly 48 hours before I ripped the skin off the top and cooked them in the oven with the aid of a cooking thermometer to avoid overcooking them.
That was a different experience indeed. One fish was a bit fatter than the other and the thin one may have been a bit overcooked, but the fat one was delicious. Not soft or flaky, but firm, juicy and very tasty. Not rubbery or hard like the first fish. It was actually quite a lot like anglerfish/monkfish in texture: firm but not hard.
Thanks again for the pointers! I'm very much looking forward to finding another sole now!

 

[agbiv]

I re-read this and realized there are several tidbitts to pass along!

Yes on the oily fish--eat fresh as possible. Mullet is great the day of catch or one day on ice but after--fertilizer. :blackeye

Mackerals--cut out the blood line. Freezes okay but not longer than 6 months--oils begin to break down even in the freezer (not the flash frozen type). :yack

Grouper--I ALWAYS skin it to redue the bitter flavor skin imparts.

Scallops & oysters--freeze them in their own liquor & leave room for fluid expansion as it freezes--oyster liquor frozen to the base of the fridge/freezer will get you a tongue lashing. :duh:ban

 

[Mr. X]

I once had a delicious Lemon Sole in Looe in Cornwall (freshest commercially caught fish in the country - all the boats there are day boats). It was cooked simply in butter & served with just boiled potatoes with a knob of butter on it. Looked plain but tasted fab.

I suspect you may have overcooked it - it seems like the easiest mistake to make with seafood. I don't require that the meat fall off the bone but I guess it often does - I'm more worried about overcooking (I'd seriously consider eating rsw most of the fish I catch - shop-bought fish is a different matter). If the fish is tough/dry outside yet is not fully cooked in the middle, then it sounds like you might have cooked it too fast (i.e. too hot) - so you could try turning the heat down a notch.

 

[Anders]

I think you're right Mr. X; overcooking is likely the major reason for the "rubberyness" I experienced the first time and to some extent with the thinner fish on the second try. Maturation/aging may have played a part as well, but I had no idea the sole needed such a delicate treatment compared to most other fish. A cooking thermometer and low heat is probably the easiest way to success.

 

[foxfish]

Or use a recipe that does not require soft flesh like "Goujons of sole"

 

[Mr. X]

I've cooked kippers several times recently. As they are filleted, they are somewhat like a flattie to cook/warm through. I normally place them flesh down in oil and/or butter for a couple of minutes on a moderate hear to cook the soft flesh while it is still firmly attached to the skin. Then I flip it over (sometimes the bones will drop out at this point) and then cook it skin down on a low-moderate heat to cook it through - the idea is that the skin will hold it all together. I don't cook it long - it wouldn't matter if it was a bit raw (although it rarely is).

 

[Oldsarge]

I concur on the possibility that you overcooked the sole the first time. The 'rule of thumb' that you cook a fish 10 minutes per inch of thickness is, IMO, too much. Fish should never get over 130F internal temperature. That's blood rare for red meat but on the money for fish. And any fish that tapers will be a challenge because by the time the thick part is done, the thin part is dried out. Tricky.

 

[ReefTroll]

For thicker things my wife will seal it up in a pan, then oven cook it. I wonder if this would help the tapered issue you mention Sarge??

 

[Broseidon]

I'm a big fan of sole!

In my opinion, they are best poached and filleted, which is super easy, even with small ones.

1: trim the frills off with scissors

2: skin them by making a small cut horizontally across the base of the tale, grab the flap of skin with a pair of fine pliers and just pull - the skin with come off in a single, easy motion.


You'll be left with:

3: remove the heads and tails and put into a pan of simmering milk with garlic and pepper - leave for 4 minutes

4: remove from pan and, using a knife, pull away the little side bones (not sure of the proper name)

5: you should be left with the 2 sides of fish held together by the spine and ribs - carefully remove the flesh by running a knife down the center of the flesh along the spine and pushing the meat off the bone - you be left with 4 fillets per fish - which you can just about see in the recipe book at bottom of the picture I posted.


Serve with new potatoes and a Beurre Noisette with a sprinkle of finely chopped flat-leaf parsely.... heaven!

 

[Oldsarge]

By golly, that looks like one good recipe! I'm going to have to give it a try myself.

And RT, sealing the fish up in aluminum foil is another good solution.

 

[w1s3b0y]

I'm a big fan of sole!

In my opinion, they are best poached and filleted, which is super easy, even with small ones.

1: trim the frills off with scissors

2: skin them by making a small cut horizontally across the base of the tale, grab the flap of skin with a pair of fine pliers and just pull - the skin with come off in a single, easy motion.


You'll be left with:

3: remove the heads and tails and put into a pan of simmering milk with garlic and pepper - leave for 4 minutes

4: remove from pan and, using a knife, pull away the little side bones (not sure of the proper name)

5: you should be left with the 2 sides of fish held together by the spine and ribs - carefully remove the flesh by running a knife down the center of the flesh along the spine and pushing the meat off the bone - you be left with 4 fillets per fish - which you can just about see in the recipe book at bottom of the picture I posted.


Serve with new potatoes and a Beurre Noisette with a sprinkle of finely chopped flat-leaf parsely.... heaven!

i'll second @broseidon s recipe here, poaching works really well for fish like these !
i have a similar favourite for smoked white fish :

gently fry spring onions in butter, low heat.
place fish on top of onions. add milk till the fish is just covered.
add pinch of nutmeg and paprika, and some dill.
gently poach, spooning the milk over the fish to mingle the flavours from time to time.
the fish is ready when it flakes easily.

awesome!

(dont add more milk later, better to put more in at the start. if you need to thicken or reduce the sauce just remove the fish and up the heat under the sauce to boil it down).