Sole with roasted vegetables

A very easy supper this. Just throw all the vegetables onto one baking tray, the fish onto another and roast. Simple.

Roasting vegetables such as cauliflower, zucchini and bell peppers renders them sweet, caramelized and golden brown. Splash over a little vinegar, lemon juice or wine and you have a nice toasty taste to accompany any meat or fish. A drizzle of hummus or some herb flecked yogurt would also work well.

Recipe : Sole with roasted vegetables

2 pieces of sole

1/2 lemon, sliced thinly

2 tsp butter

A pinch of saffron strands

The juice of half a lemon

A few sprigs of dill

1/4 cup white wine

salt and pepper to taste

Vegetables

1/4 cauliflower, broken into florets

1 zucchini, sliced thickly

1/2 onion, sliced thickly

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into chunks

2 garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled

A sprig of rosemary

1 tbsp oil

2 tsp butter

The juice of half a lemon

salt and pepper to taste generously

Preheat the oven to 375oF

Place all the vegetables and garlic on a baking tray and drizzle over 1 tbsp oil and the 2 tsp butter. Stir well to coat everything.

Squeeze over the lemon juice and season with the salt and pepper quite well. Pick the leaves off the rosemary and sprinkle over. Stir again, trying to coat the rosemary in the oil otherwise it may burn.

Place in the oven and roast for about 40 minutes.

Place the sole onto another baking dish and sprinkle with the saffron, dill, lemon juice, white wine and salt and pepper. Place the lemon slices on top of the fish and place the butter on top of each piece of fish. 

Place in the oven with the vegetables (after their first 40 minutes) and roast for about 10 -15 minutes. 

Check the fish is cooked through and opaque and the vegetables are soft. Remove to a plate and carefully spoon all the buttery, lemony juices from the baking trays over everything.

I served this with a quick extra sauce consisting of 2 tbsp mayonnaise mixed with some chili jelly to add a little heat and tang to cut across the richness of the butter.