Flour-coated sole—a staple of home cooking and classic restaurant fare—gets a makeover to take center stage on Antonino Cannavacciuolo’s table. Here’s his 3-star version.

Ingredients

SERVES 4

4 sole fillets
150 g butter
00 flour, as needed
1 sprig of parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove of garlic
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Italian extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Rinse the sole under cold running water, pat them dry, and use a pair of scissors to trim the lateral bones. Fillet the fish and remove the skin, then dredge the fillets in flour.

Note: Sole have 4 fillets, two on each side, so to portion them, start cutting from the head end, continuing through the center, and working toward the tail.

In a skillet, heat the garlic in a little oil, melt the butter, and add the fillets, browning them first on one side and then on the other.

If you notice the temperature is getting too high—risking burning the fish—add a little more cold butter and continue cooking.

Remove the sole fillets from the skillet and keep them warm by covering them with aluminum foil. Deglaze the skillet with lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and, once the sauce has thickened slightly, add the chopped parsley. If the sauce starts to separate, pour in a small amount of water and bring it back to a boil while stirring.