Cooking in: If you prefer cooked fish, keep it simple, writes Hugo Arnold
Few fish beat black sole. Firm, meaty and subtly sweet, it has an elegance and style shared only, perhaps, by turbot. No wonder chefs love it - although most of them lack restraint, dressing it and coddling it, partnering it and smothering it.
A grill should be all you need. Unfortunately, domestic models aren't up to the job. You'll need a sole per person, but they can be so big that even grilling for four is tricky at home. The answer is to fillet them. All fish - especially flatfish, whether black sole or humble plaice - tastes better on the bone, but sometimes there's no choice.
Gentle frying is the best way to cook flatfish fillets, ireally good extra virgin olive oil or in butter.
An alternative is to make a classic beurre noisette, heating butter gently until it is the colour of hazelnuts and has developed a delicious nuttiness. A few capers - salted rather than pickled - add zing.