An A to Z guide to choosing, storing, preparing, and cooking fresh produce and recipe ingredients.
Foodcollection/Getty ImagesSole
Closely related to the flounder, the pancake-flat sole is firm textured and delicately flavored.
Season: Year-round.
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How to Choose Sole
Sole is usually sold in fillets, both fresh and frozen. Fresh sole should have no fish smell and be firm and springy to the touch. Look for fish that has been wild-caught in the Pacific, where supply is stable and sole is not in danger of being overfished, as it is in the Atlantic. Supermarkets are required to label fresh and frozen fish with the country of origin and the method of production (wild or farmed), but this law doesn’t apply to fish markets and restaurants, so consumers must ask more questions in those places. -
How to Store Sole
Refrigerate sole, wrapped, for up to 2 days. Freezing it will result in a mushy texture once thawed. -
How to Use Sole
Sole is commonly broiled, steamed, or poached. In the classic French dish sole meunière it’s dredged in flour and sautéed.
—Jenny RosenstrachReal Simple Sole Recipes:
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