For a
time I lived in Monterey, California. I was studying nursing and working part
time at a seafood restaurant. The restaurant was in a Victorian house built by
a ship captain named Perry, whose wife, it was said, used to pace the long
seaward-facing balcony as she watched for the captain’s return. Now the house is a
museum, but when I lived in Monterey a husband-and-wife team operated a
restaurant there. The husband kept the books and managed the staff; the wife,
E, ran the kitchen. I waited tables. Late weekday afternoons and early Saturday
mornings, in the upstairs dining room, I polished glassware and silver, folded
napkins so that they appeared tufted like birds, and set flowers on
white-clothed tables. It was calming work, often done after a day of classes or
hospital training, and for the most part in view of that long balcony walk
overlooking Monterey Bay.
E was a
marvelous cook. One Saturday for my lunch, she pan-fried Petrale sole bought
that morning at fishermen’s wharf. I told her I didn’t like fish; she said I
would like this one. And I did. It tasted sweet and fresh and smelled like the
ocean. Years later in Honolulu, I came upon fresh Petrale sole flown in from
California and brought some home. E prepared her sole simply--dusting it with
flour, frying it in olive oil, and squeezing fresh lemon onto it before serving.
I complicate mine a little, dipping the fillets in beaten egg (after dusting with flour), rolling them in cracker crumbs, and then frying them in olive oil. My sole is not as delicious, not as fresh, as the sole E prepared for me that day, but it is still delightful. I look forward to having
it whenever I find the fish in the market.
For two or three
people, you need 1 to 1 ½ pound Petrale sole fillets (Dover sole is good too),
two tablespoons flour, two beaten eggs, a half package Italian-style crushed salt-and-pepper
crackers, two tablespoons olive oil, and fresh lemon or lime. Wash and dry the
fillets. Dust them with the flour, dip in the beaten eggs, and turn each side of
the fillets onto a dish holding the crushed crackers, pressing to coat the
cracker crumbs to the fillets. Fry the fillets over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes each
side, until they are golden brown and cooked through. Do not overcook. Serve with the lemon or lime slices, tartar sauce (if you like), and a salad.
Here
are most of the ingredients:
The
fillets in the pan:
And ready
to serve:
