Spicy Tsuyu Braised Sole with Lime Leaf and Ginger
Chef Rachel Yang
Joule and Revel restaurants
Seattle
Braising is a surefire way to keep lean fish fillets from drying out. Chef Rachel Yang of Joule and Revel restaurants in Seattle creates a braising liquid with Thai flavors, including charred kombu, Thai chiles and makrut lime leaf in a broth made with sake, tamari and mirin. It infuses the Alaskan sole fillets with a savory, spicy and citrusy notes.
Ingredients
1 strip kombu (Japanese seaweed)
1 pt. sake
1 cup tamari
1 cup mirin
2 Thai chilis
8 makrut lime leaves
2 tbsp. canola oil
2 tbsp. pickled ginger, julienned
1 tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves
4 Alaskan sole fillets (about 6 oz. each), refreshed
Steps
1. For spicy tsuyu braising liquid, toast kombu in a small sauté pan or on an open flame until it’s soft and pliable. In blender container, combine toasted kombu with sake, tamari, mirin and chiles; blend until pureed.
2. Place sole filets in a nonreactive baking pan large enough to fit fillets in one layer. Pour spicy tsuyu on top; marinate fillets in liquid at least 6 hours.
3. Add canola oil and makrut lime leaf in baking pan. Place the baking pan in a 350 F convection oven (400 F conventional oven); cook until fish is opaque, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. To serve, plate fish with braising liquid, pickled ginger and cilantro.
Photo courtesy of Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute