Goujons de Sole are small pieces of Sole that are dipped in fritter batter and fried in hot oil. I had always considered them to be a French creation; until I learned differently. Fried fish was originally brought to England by Portuguese Sephardic Jews in the 16th century. As Marranos, the Jews were able to fry fish and eat it for Shabbat just like the Christians who weren’t allowed to eat meat on Fridays. Left over fish would be eaten for lunch on Saturday.
What we know as Fish ‘N Chips is made with whole fillets; while this elegant French version is made with fillets cut into small pieces. I generally get three to four pieces out of each fillet. When these pieces are dipped in fritter batter and fried, the batter inflates and forms a “bubble jacket” around each piece of fish. When the fish is completely drained of excess oil, it can be reheated and the jacket remains.
Serve these Goujons de Sole with Tartar sauce, Truffle Mayo or Blackberry-Mango Salsa.
Hint: I make the Truffle sauce by mixing about a tablespoon of truffle cream with one cup of mayonnaise. You can add more or less of the truffle cream to fit your taste. My four year old grand daughter loves it!
Note: For more about the history of Fish and Chips, read this article by my friend Ronnie V. Fein: https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-surprising-jewish-history-behind-fish-n-chips/
Goujons de Sole
By Published: May 29, 2022
Yield:
- 8 Servings
Cook time:
- 30 mins
Ingredients
- 7 six ounce fillets of lemon sole
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons seasalt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 10 ounces seltzer
- vegetable oil
Equipment
- medium mixing bowl
- whisk
- large skillet or electric fryer
- slotted spoon
- rack placed over waxed paper to drain fish
Directions
- Rinse sole and pat dry. Slice each fillet down the center and remove backbone. Cut each fillet half into three or four pieces.
- Mix flour, salt and pepper in mixing bowl. Whisk seltzer into dry ingredients until batter is very smooth.
- Pour enough oil into the skillet so that it rises two inches in the pan. Heat over medium flame until you can drop a tiny bit of batter into the oil and it is immediately browned. Dip each piece of sole into the batter. Let the excess batter drip back into the bowl and then carefully place it in hot oil. Fry no more than four or five pieces at a time . When you see the edges begin to brown and the batter begin to puff up, flip the sole over and fry on the other side. If you want it browner, flip back again. This process takes about five or six minutes per batch. Remove cooked sole and drain on rack. Repeat until all the sole is fried.
- You can serve sole immediately or reheat in a 350°F. oven until hot. Serve with Tartar sauce, Truffle Mayo or Blackberry-Mango salsa. My favorite is the Truffle Mayo!
