Edinburgh- and Dundee Lemon Sole

I love Edinburgh, and the thought of getting on the train and chugging up there once a year is enough to keep me going when things get tough. Taking a few days off from the MA, Roger and I packed our bags for a few days of relaxation: but more importantly, food. We’re always the first to hit the Steak and Mussels place at the bottom of the Grassmarket, and had an excellent last night meal there comprising of steak for Roger and oysters, followed by cream, bacon and whisky mussels for me. Scrum-o.

In a change to our normal routine of sightseeing, this year, as I was missing it for some reason, we hopped on the train and headed over to Dundee, the home of Jute, Jam and Journalism but most importantly, the birthplace of Dad-y. It was a bit of a drizzly day, which we mainly avoided by having a tasty lunch in the DCA (Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre) after a tour of the Discovery and then a wander round the charity shops, where I bought a pair of polished wooden candlesticks for no apparent reason. We also hunted out Dad-y’s old D.C. Thompson offices, then had a quick look round the Howff cemetery.

On the hunt for good food, I took Roger to Fisher and Donaldson’s, the cheery Dundee-version of Bettys. Dundee cakes were purchased and bound in bubble wrap before being sent off to respective parents, but we also bought some of my old favourites; little apple pies, glazed with thick syrup and encased in chewy pastry, as well as a round of petticoat tail shortbread for Amy.

To my horror, Robertson’s the butcher had vanished! No more, the huge Desperate Dan style steak pies, or taking the wrapped meat to the cashier’s booth to pay. Very sad. Thankfully, however, the fish shop on a neighbouring street was still open, so I bought us a couple of fillets of lemon sole, a lovely firm piece of smoked haddock and a smokie for myself in the morning. Cooking up a storm in the kitchen whilst listening to Les Mis was one of the highlights of the trip- the flavours of the fish were outstanding and I must admit I was pretty smug with myself for having brought some ingredients with me. I baked the haddock in a little milk in the oven (covered with foil) before whipping up a quick cheese sauce to make a sort of mornay, but the sole was so delicate and sweet it merits a real, albeit rustic recipe.

Dundee Lemon Sole

Ingredients:

1-2 fillets of lemon sole, depending on size

Butter

1 onion, finely chopped

1 lemon

1 tablespoon Capers

Handful of parsley and chives, chopped.

Method:

1)      In a large pan fry the chopped onion until soft. Reserve in a bowl for later use.

2)      Very simply fry the sole in butter (with a dash of olive oil if you’re worried about the butter burning), giving it a few minutes on each side. It’ll curl up, but it doesn’t matter, does it?

3)      When the fish is cooked, transfer it to a warm plate and keep it covered on a very low heat in the oven to keep warm.

4)      Put the onion back in the pan and warm through, adding a knob of butter.

5)      Squeeze in the juice of half the lemon before stirring in the capers (whole, or chopped roughly, depending on how you like them).

6)      Finally, stir in the herbs and allow to wilt slightly before spooning over the warm fish.

Serve with lemon wedges. We had this with boiled potatoes and spinach. Delicious!