It’s the end of a somewhat trying week, and we both felt like having a supper that would be both celebratory (“Yay! We made it!”) and extremely easy. Here are two dishes that come together within a half hour and look—and taste—as though they took a lot longer.
Note: This is an easy meal, but it’s even easier if one person cooks the fish while the other watches the asparagus.
Sole is a delicate, tender fish, needing only a couple of minutes on each side and requiring just a bit of butter, a squeeze of lemon, and some capers to make it something special. Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus is ease itself: wrap, bake, broil for the last few minutes, serve.
Sole Meunière with Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus
Serves 2 // 487 calories, 21g fat, 72g protein, <1g net carbs
18 spears of asparagus
6 ounces finely-sliced prosciutto
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound dover sole
2 tablespoons juice (approx.) from one lemon
1 teaspoon rinsed capers
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Cut the prosciutto down the middle, lengthwise. Cut any woody ends off the asparagus. Wrap each asparagus spear with a half-slice of prosciutto, spiraling down the spear. Lay each finished spear on a lipped sheet pan. Don’t let them touch. When finished, pop them in the oven (middle rack) for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large non-stick pan on medium-low. Pepper one side of the sole and lay the pieces carefully into the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Check on the baking asparagus. Shake the pan to rotate the spears. Set the timer for another 5 minutes.
Carefully turn the pieces of sole over and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Turn the oven to the “broil” setting, and move the sheet pan to within 6 inches of the heat. Shake pan to rotate spears.
Remove the sole from the pan and onto warmed plates. Add a bit more butter to the pan, brown it a bit, add a few squeezes of lemon, and drizzle over the plated fish.
Check on the asparagus. Shake the pan. If the prosciutto is crispy, it’s ready. Add the asparagus to the plates, sprinkle some capers on the fish, and serve!
A crisp white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc, or a sparkling wine, pairs beautifully.