Eva's Kitchen - Eva Longoria Parker [18]
3. Working with one fillet at a time, coat it on both sides with the egg mixture and allow the excess to drip off. Place it in the panko, and coat on both sides. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining fillets, arranging them on the baking sheet in a staggered formation so they all fit. Spray the fillets with the vegetable oil.
4. Bake for 8 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully flip the fillets and spray them again with oil. Bake until lightly browned, about 8 minutes more. Serve with lemon slices.
lemon dover sole
While in the port town of Fécamp in Normandy, France, I stopped for lunch at a tiny hotel-restaurant that had no more than four tables and was run by a husband-and-wife team who apparently did everything from the cooking to serving to making the beds themselves. The catch of the day was Dover sole and the chef served it lightly pan-fried and practically swimming in a bath of the most wonderful lemon-butter sauce I’d ever tasted. The Dover sole sold in Europe is a delicate flat fish native to European waters, including the English Channel on which the town of Fécamp sits. When I’m in the United States, I use Pacific Dover sole or another delicately flavored, fresh, flat fish from waters closer to home. This dish is excellent served with Broiled Asparagus.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
3 pounds flat fish, such as flounder, halibut, or sand dab
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
Ingredients for Lemon Butter Sauce (see Note)
1. Lightly sprinkle both sides of the fillets with salt. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add as many fillets to the skillet as will fit without crowding. Cook until lightly browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and cook until done, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Remove to a platter, keeping the fish warm, and continue with the remaining fillets, adding more oil to the pan if needed.
3. Prepare the lemon butter sauce.
4. Divide the fillets among 6 plates, pour the lemon sauce over the fish, and serve.
NOTE
The best time to prepare the sauce is indicated in the recipe.
honey-glazed salmon
To be honest, I didn’t used to care for salmon. I tried a number of different methods of cooking it and none had ever worked for me. Then, finally, I asked my friend Mario Lopez for advice, and he responded with two words: “honey glaze.” That was it! Honey cuts the richness that I used to find overpowering while underscoring the salmon’s own sweetness.
Baking the fish in paper packages, called en papillote in French, allows thicker cuts to cook all the way through without getting dry, and (better yet) keeps the mess to a minimum. Plus, it’s fun to open them at the table—just be careful not to get burned by the steam! Serve with Garlic Green Beans or a green salad.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
Juice from 1 small lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
3 garlic cloves, minced
Parchment paper
4 6-ounce boneless salmon fillets, about 1½-inch thick
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. In a small bowl, place the honey, oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Stir until well blended.
3. Cut four 15-inch squares of parchment. Lay a fillet skin side down just below the center of one parchment square. Generously brush it with the honey glaze. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Fold the top half of the parchment down so that the edges meet. Fold the three open sides several times to create tightly sealed “pouches.” Place the packet on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining fillets. Bake until cooked, 12 to 15 minutes depending on the fillets’ thickness and how rare you want the fish. Remember that the fish will continue to cook a little more after it’s removed from the oven. Transfer a package to each of 4 plates and serve.
tilapia with citrus-garlic sauce
I don’t understand why tilapia is not more popular. It has a flaky texture and good and delicate flavor and can be cooked just about any way you’d prepare