Home/Tips and tricks/Petrale sole
Petrale sole, cooked and plated
Let's cook your

Petrale sole

Delicate, sweet and buttery, with a fine, tender flake. One of the gentlest white fish there is.

  • Wild
  • Meunière
  • 4 to 6 min
Start cooking
Running low?
$10.86
★ 5.0 · 10 reviews
Shop Wild Petrale Sole Fillet
The short version

How to cook it

Thaw
Overnight in the fridge
Take it out of the vacuum pack, set it on a plate, cover it and leave it in the fridge overnight.
Best way
Meunière
Dusted in flour, pan-fried in butter.
Time
4 to 6 min
Done when
63°C/145°F
Flesh turns white and flakes with a fork. Thickest part.
Step one

How to thaw petrale sole

● Best

Overnight in the fridge

Take it out of the vacuum pack, set it on a plate, cover it and leave it in the fridge overnight.

● Faster

Cold water, sealed bag

Seal it in a leakproof bag and sink it in cold water, 20 to 30 minutes. Change the water if it warms. Cook it as soon as it is thawed.

Step two

How to cook petrale sole

Meunière

Dust in flour, medium-high butter, 2 to 3 min a side.

Petrale Sole Meunière →

Pan-fry

Medium-high, 2 to 3 min a side.

Bake

200°C/400°F, 8 to 10 min, with lemon and herbs.

Get it right

10 things that make the difference

  1. Quick dry-brine: 10–15 minutes

    Lightly salt fish 10–15 minutes before cooking; leave uncovered in refrigerator and pat dry before searing. Intended to improve seasoning, structure and surface browning.

    From Steven Courtney

  2. Quick wet brine

    Mix 1 tablespoon salt into 4 cups cold water; submerge fish for 10–15 minutes, remove and pat dry.

  3. Zest before; juice after

    Add lemon zest before cooking for aromatic citrus oils; finish with fresh lemon juice after cooking.

    From Steven Courtney

  4. Rice flour for a crisp crust

    Lightly dust fish with rice flour instead of wheat flour before pan-frying for a delicate, crisp coating.

    From Steven Courtney

  5. Finish with butter

    Add a small knob of butter near the end of pan-searing to enrich the flavour and baste the fish.

    From Chef Julian Bond

  6. Three pantry flavour boosters

    Worcestershire sauce for savoury depth; pomegranate molasses for tang; miso paste for sweet-salty umami.

    From Chef Julian Bond

  7. Don’t Be Afraid of the Heat!

    Chef Julian Bond recommends a very hot pan to sear and caramelize fish, developing a beautifully browned exterior and deeper flavour. Avoid overcrowding: too much fish at once lowers the pan temperature, causing the fish to steam instead of sear. Cook in batches and adjust the heat to the fish and cookware.

  8. Keep it simple; flip once

    Pat fish dry, use controlled heat, cook most of the way on one side and flip once. Avoid excessive handling.

    From Chef Vibber

  9. Parchment to prevent sticking

    Chef Bond suggests cooking fish over a piece of cooking parchment in a stainless-steel pan to reduce sticking.

  10. Let residual heat finish the fish

    Remove delicate fish from heat shortly before it would otherwise be fully cooked, allowing carryover heat to finish it without drying it out.

    From Chef Robert Clark

Make tonight

Petrale sole recipes

Petrale Sole Meunière
Recipe

Petrale Sole Meunière
Where it came from

From the water to your kitchen

Wild or raised
Wild
Where it comes from
"Wild-caught off the Pacific Coast of North America".
Did you know?

Petrale sole is low in fat, rich in protein and packed with selenium.

Questions

Petrale sole, answered

What does petrale sole taste like?

Sweet and buttery, with a fine, delicate flake.

Why does it stick to the pan?

Too little fat or no flour. Dust it lightly and use enough butter.

Do I eat the skin?

You can. It's thin and soft; most people leave it on.

In this guide

Shop this fish

Wild Petrale Sole Fillet