Fillet of Sole With a Tomato and Olive Sauce (Φιλέτο γλώσσας με σάλτσα ντομάτας και ελιάς)

Sometimes the easiest, most straightforward dishes can provide you with the biggest culinary surprise.

Such was the case recently when I was flipping through one of the cookbooks I brought back from Greece. I had some fillets of sole but I just couldn't decide how to prepare them...until I saw "the recipe."

Here's the humble recipe:

Fillet of Sole With a Tomato and Olive Sauce (Φιλέτο γλώσσας με σάλτσα ντομάτας και ελιάς)
(serves 4)

4 fillets of sole
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups of vegetable cocktail juice (V8)
1 Tbsp. of tomato paste
12 pitted black olives, halved
1 medium onion, grated
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried Greek oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heated 375F oven

1. Brush some vegetable oil on your fish fillets and season both sides with salt and pepper and carefully roll each fillet and secure with a toothpick. Place on an oiled baking dish and place in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, add your olive oil, grated onion, tomato paste and garlic and saute on medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until the onions have softened.
3. Add the tomato juice, bring to a boil and simmer until it's reduced to a thick sauce. Take off the heat, add the oregano and olives and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Reserve and keep warm.
4. When your fish is cooked, spoon the tomato and olive sauce onto each plate, place the rolled fillet on top and serve a spoonful of sauce on top of each roll.
5. Serve immediately with a mashed potato nest filled with your favourite array of vegetables.

Now read the recipe again and look at the dish. I still find it hard to believe that this rudimentary (albeit delicious) recipe is the same one photographed here.

The bottom line, re-examine your usual dishes and think of a way to change up the presentation.
Usually, I'd serve this fish fillet flat out on the plate, potatoes at 2 O'clock and veggies at 6 O'clock.

A little imagination can go a long way. I don't know where my mind was at on this day but I pulled a rabbit out of the hat.

I adore how this dish looks, it tasted fabulous and it was ready in 40 minutes after a busy day of meetings.

Enjoy!

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