Prosciutto Wrapped Sole with Capers, Roasted Red Peppers and Basil

There have been 6 sole fillets in the freezer for a while, just enough for 2 people, but the right time to use them hasn't presented itself until now. I bought some thinly sliced prosciutto to wrap the sole fillets with, before baking them. There was some roasted red pepper in the fridge, which I combined with the last of the capers, some fresh basil and butter to add another layer of flavour to the fish.

This was quick and easy to prepare, very tasty and full of contrasts, from the saltiness of the prosciutto to the sweetness of the roasted red pepper, the crispy prosciutto layer to the moist fish. I added some panfried potatoes and steamed green beans to complete the meal.

Heat the oven to 400F.

 In a small bowl combine:

2 tablespoons diced roasted red pepper
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Using a mortar and pestle, roughly crush the ingredients.

Add:

1 tablespoon soft butter

Mix to combine.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remember that the prosciutto is salty, and so are the capers.

Lay 6 thin slices of prosciutto on a cutting board, and then place a sole fillet on top of each one, skin side down.

Lightly season the fish with salt and pepper.

Divide the flavoured butter evenly between the fish, roughly dotting it across the centre of the fillets.

Starting at the tail (thin end) roll the fish and prosciutto up, jelly roll style, securing with a toothpick.

Place the fish into an ovenproof dish.

Bake until the fish is fully cooked, about 15 minutes.









Remove from the oven and allow the fish to rest for 5 minutes before serving. The butter will have melted, basting the fish while it baked. The prosciutto is crispy on the outside and still soft on the inside and the roasted red pepper and capers provide both moisture and flavour at the centre of the fish.

• It is important that when you are seasoning the fish and the flavoured butter you keep in mind how much salt is being added with the other ingredients and adjust it accordingly. How salty is the prosciutto you have? Are you using salted or unsalted butter?
• Any flavoured butter can be used. Some suggestions that work well with fish are fresh dill, parsley or chives; finely chopped green onion; minced black olives and sundried tomatoes; lemon zest and juice; thinly sliced fennel bulb or crushed fennel seeds.
• Make extra butter and freeze it for another use.
• Instead of prosciutto use ham. The fish can also be wrapped with zucchini that has been thinly sliced lengthwise (grill it before wrapping the fish if you like).
• Another option for wrapping the fish is nori, the sheets of toasted seaweed that are often used to make sushi.
• The fish can be replaced with thinly sliced turkey or chicken breast, thinly sliced beef, pork or veal. The cooking time will need to be adjusted, as these all take longer to bake than sole does.
• If you wish to use other fish, such as salmon or cod, wrap the portion with the prosciutto. The thickness of these fillets will prevent you from rolling the fish as I did, but you can still place the butter on top of the fish before wrapping it (see the post Zucchini Wrapped Chicken Breasts).
• Thicker fish fillets can be grilled after they have been wrapped with the prosciutto, as these types of fish are often firmer fleshed than sole is. This increases the cooking time, and allows for grilling as well as baking.
• I found that the fish did not need a sauce, as it was moist and juicy in the middle because of the butter, red peppers and capers. Feel free to serve it with a butter sauce, or a mayonnaise based sauce such as tartar sauce. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice is another option.