# Petrale Sole Almondine with Roasted Delicata, Sunchokes and Balsamic Brussels Sprouts > Delicate petrale sole gets a thin golden crust and a generous spoonful of toasted almonds, brown butter, lemon and parsley. Roasted delicata and earthy sunchokes bring sweetness alongside crisp-edged Brussels sprouts finished with balsamic vinegar—a very good late-October plate. - URL: https://www.chezjk.com/recipes/petrale-sole-almandine-with-roasted-delicata-sunchokes-and-balsamic-brussels-spr - Author: Jonathan Katzman - Cooked and photographed: 2024-10-25 - Recipe updated: 2026-10-23 - Serves: 4 servings - Tags: gluten-free, pescatarian ![Petrale Sole Almondine with Roasted Delicata, Sunchokes and Balsamic Brussels Sprouts](https://www.chezjk.com/api/images?path=9e5d6860-dd86-455e-b57b-e352c363fc57%2F89c017edee7d2a09.jpg) ## Golden Pan-Seared Petrale Sole A very light cassava flour coating protects the delicate fish and produces a thin, golden crust. Ghee tolerates the searing heat without burning. ### Ingredients - 1½ lb petrale sole fillets, pin bones removed - ⅓ cup cassava flour, for a light dredge - 3 tbsp ghee, divided - ¾ tsp kosher salt, or to taste - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper ### Instructions 1. Pat the fillets thoroughly dry. Season with salt and pepper just before cooking. 2. Spread the cassava flour on a plate. Lightly coat both sides of each fillet, shaking off all excess; dredge only the batch you are about to cook. 3. Heat a large nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the ghee and, once shimmering, lay in the fish without crowding. 4. Cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes, until the underside is golden and the edges turn opaque. Turn carefully with a wide fish spatula and cook another 1–2 minutes, depending on thickness. The flesh should be opaque and separate easily; a thermometer inserted sideways into the thickest part should read 145°F. 5. Transfer to warm plates or a warm platter. Repeat with the remaining ghee and fish, lowering the heat if the flour residue begins to darken. Spoon the almond sauce over the fish immediately before serving. ### Notes - Thin sole tears easily. Support the entire fillet when turning, and avoid moving it before the crust has set. - Cook in two skillets if available so all four portions finish together. ## Lemon–Brown Butter Almond Sauce with Parsley Toasted almonds reinforce the nuttiness of browned butter, while lemon and parsley keep the topping bright enough for delicate sole. ### Ingredients - 5 tbsp unsalted butter - ½ cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste - ⅓ cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley - 1 tbsp water, as needed - to taste kosher salt ### Instructions 1. Melt the butter in a small, light-colored skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring frequently, until the nuts are golden and the butter's milk solids are hazelnut-brown, about 4–6 minutes. 2. Immediately remove from the heat. Carefully stir in the lemon juice; it will sputter. 3. Stir in the parsley and season with salt. If the sauce seems too rich or concentrated, add the water a teaspoon at a time, stirring to combine. 4. Spoon over the freshly cooked sole, distributing both almonds and parsley generously. ### Notes - If the almonds brown before the butter, stop cooking rather than risk scorching the nuts. The sauce will still be flavorful. - Prepare this near serving time; add the parsley at the end to preserve its color. ## Roasted Delicata Squash and Sunchokes Starting the sunchokes first lets them become creamy inside while the thinner delicata pieces retain their shape. Bare pan contact gives both vegetables deeply caramelized edges. ### Ingredients - 1 medium delicata squash, about 1¼ lb - 1 lb sunchokes - 2½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided - ¾ tsp kosher salt, or to taste - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper ### Instructions 1. Heat the oven to 425°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. 2. Scrub the sunchokes well, trim any damaged spots, and cut into roughly 1-inch chunks, halving smaller ones. Leave the skins on. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and about half the salt and pepper. 3. Spread the sunchokes on a large rimmed baking sheet with cut surfaces against the pan. Roast for 10 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, halve the delicata lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut crosswise into ½-inch half-moons, leaving the skin on. Toss with the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. 5. Turn the sunchokes and add the delicata in a single uncrowded layer. Roast for another 25–35 minutes, turning the squash once, until its edges are browned and the sunchokes yield easily to a knife. 6. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Keep warm, uncovered, while finishing the fish. ### Notes - Use an additional sheet pan if needed; crowded vegetables steam instead of browning. - Small or thin sunchoke pieces may finish early. Remove them as they become tender rather than letting them dry out. ## Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar High heat browns the cut faces and crisps the outer leaves. Adding balsamic near the end gives a glossy, tangy finish without burning its sugars. ### Ingredients - 1½ lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil - 1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar, not balsamic glaze - ¾ tsp kosher salt, or to taste - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper ### Instructions 1. Toss the sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange cut-side down on a large rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between them. 2. Roast at 425°F for 20–25 minutes, until the cut sides are deeply browned and the centers are just tender. Rotate the pan if browning is uneven. 3. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and toss. Return to the oven for 3–5 minutes, until lightly glazed but not scorched. 4. Taste for salt and serve hot, retaining any crisp loose leaves. ### Notes - Quarter exceptionally large sprouts so they finish with the smaller halves. - When roasting alongside the squash, swap the pans between racks halfway through their shared cooking time. ## Overall Timing / Workflow The vegetables can tolerate a short wait, but sole is best served straight from the pan. Preparing the sauce ingredients ahead makes the final minutes manageable. ### Instructions 1. 0:00 — Heat the oven to 425°F. Scrub and cut the sunchokes, then start roasting them as soon as the oven is ready. 2. While the sunchokes get their 10-minute head start, prepare the delicata and Brussels sprouts. 3. Add the delicata to the sunchoke pan and put the Brussels sprouts on the other rack. Chop the almonds and parsley, juice the lemon, and dry the fish. 4. About 15 minutes before the vegetables are ready, begin cooking the sole in batches. Check and rotate the vegetable pans as needed. 5. Finish the Brussels sprouts with balsamic. Remove the vegetables when tender and browned. 6. During the final batch of fish, make the almond sauce in a separate small skillet. Finish it with lemon and parsley, then plate everything immediately. ### Notes - Allow about 60–65 minutes overall, depending on oven preheating and the number of fish batches. ## Plating Keeping the roasted vegetables beside rather than beneath the sole preserves its delicate crust and gives the almond sauce a clear focal point. ### Instructions 1. Arrange the sole slightly overlapping on one side of each warm plate. 2. Spoon the lemon–brown butter sauce over the fish, keeping plenty of chopped almonds and parsley on top. 3. Place the delicata and sunchokes together alongside the fish, with a separate generous mound of Brussels sprouts. Serve immediately. ## Leftover Path Gentle reheating protects the lean fish, while a hot oven restores the vegetables' roasted texture. ### Instructions 1. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow airtight containers, keeping fish and vegetables separate where practical. Use within 3 days. 2. Reheat the vegetables at 400°F for 10–15 minutes, until hot and beginning to crisp. 3. For hot leftover fish, place it in a covered baking dish with a small splash of water and warm at 275°F until it reaches 165°F. Warm any reserved sauce gently and spoon it over afterward. 4. Alternatively, flake the chilled sole over a salad and serve the roasted vegetables alongside; the lemony almond topping works well cold. ### Notes - Reheated sole will be firmer and its crust softer than when freshly cooked. --- From ChezJK (https://www.chezjk.com), Jonathan Katzman's public home-cooking archive: every meal he has photographed, written up as a recipe you can cook.