Fried fish is really good with remoulade sauce, but that mayonnaise-based sauce is not the most healthy of options. And so I decided to try making a version with yogurt at its base, and tried it with baby sole, pan-fried in clarified butter. It was delicious!

Clarified butter is much easier to use than regular butter, because it doesn’t splatter and won’t burn. You can make it yourself (click here to find out how), or buy it in the store (usually it is labelled with the Indian name “ghee”).

Ingredients

For 2 servings

600 grams (1.3 lb) sole

flour

salt and freshly ground white pepper

clarified butter

lemon wedges, for serving

For the yogurt remoulade

250 ml (1 cup) yogurt

2 Tbsp finely diced pickles

1 Tbsp minced capers, rinsed and drained

1 Tbsp minced fresh flat leaf parsley

1 Tbsp minced chervil

1 Tbsp minced tarragon

1 Tbsp minced chives

3 Tbsp minced shallots

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Mince the pickles, capers, parsley, chervil, tarragon, chives, and shallots.

Combine all of these in a bowl…

…then add the yogurt, salt, and pepper, and mixed well. It is best to make this in advance and allow the flavors to marry in the refrigerator. Take out the sauce about half an hour before serving, so it isn’t too cold.

The sole should be skinned, gutted, and the heads removed. Pat them dry with paper towels, and season them on both sides with salt and freshly ground white pepper.

Melt a generous amount of clarified butter in a non-stick frying pan.

Put some flour on a plate. Dip each sole in the flour on both sides, then shake off any excess flour.

Fry the sole in the hot clarified butter in a single layer.

The cooking time depends on the thickness. These baby sole took about two minutes per side. As always, do not overcook the fish. Insert a fork in the thickest part to check. If the fork comes out warm, the fish is cooked.

Serve the sole with the yogurt remoulade sauce and a lemon wedge.

Wine pairing

Fish with remoulade sauce is great with Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine, a crispy dry white that shouldn’t be confused with a (often sweet) Muscat.

Flashback

Fried sage with anchovies is a very tasty antipasto.