Sole Grenobloise (Sauteed Sole with Capers and Lemons) wtih Jean Yves Legarve's Spaghetti with Lemon and Asparagus Sauce

Oops, made these dishes last Thursday night, and I'm just writing the blog now. I saw the pasta recipe while flipping through my cookbook, and I knew it was going to be delicious. I've been really stressed out lately so I wanted some comfort food. I picked the fish because it seemed to complement the flavors in the pasta dish. Both recipes are from The Essential New York Times Cookbook. I substituted flounder for sole in the fish recipe. The store I went to didn't have sole despite the fact that the person at the seafood counter told me he had plenty of soul... Anyways, I suspected substituting the flounder wouldn't make a big difference.

Jean Yves Legarve's Spaghetti with Lemon and Asparagus Sauce

The Ingredients...

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 thick asparagus spears, stalks peeled and cut into 1-inch lengths
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan  cheese
• 4 gratings of nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Salt
• 1/2 pound spaghetti
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions...

1. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus and cook until just tender, about 6 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine the lemon zest, half of the lemon juice, the eggs, cream, Parmesan cheese, nutmug, and parsley in a bowl and blend well. Taste the sauce. The lemon flavor should be subtle, but not overpowering. Add more lemon juice if needed.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Stir in enough salt that the water tastes salty. Add the spaghetti, stir and cook, stirring often, until al dente, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Drain the spaghetti well. Immediately return it to the pot, and add the asparagus, with the butter, and lemon sauce. Toss well.
5. Turn the heat to low and gently toss the pasta over the heat for about 30 seconds, until the sauce thickens slightly and adheres to the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sole Grenobloise (Sauteed Sole with Capers and Lemons)

Ingredients...

• 4 small sole fillets (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small lemon
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup peanut, vegetable, or corn oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• Coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions...

1. Place the fillets in a dish large enough to hold them in one layer. Pour the milk over them and add salt and pepper to taste. Turn the fillets in the milk so that they are coated on all sides.
2. While they stand, peel the lemon with a paring knife, cutting away and discarding all the white pith as well as the yellow skin. Cut the lemon into thin slices and discard the seeds. Cut the slices into small cubes. Set aside.
3. Scatter the flour over a large plate and add salt and pepper to taste. Blend well.
4. Heat the oil with 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet. As the oil heats, remove the fillets from the milk, but do not drain, and coat the fish on all sides in the seasoned flour, shaking to rid the fillets of excess flour.
5. When the oil is quite hot but not smoking, add the fillets (this might have to be done in 2 steps) and cook until nicely browned on one side. The total cooking time for each fillet should be from 2 to 5 minutes. As the fillets are cooked, transfer them to a warm platter.
6. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a small skillet and cook, shaking the skillet, until the butter foams up and takes on an appetizing hazelnut-brown color. Remove from the heat. Add the cubed lemon and capers. 
7. Pour the sauce evenly over the fillets. Sprinkle with coarse salt and the chopped parsley.

Thoughts...
As suspected, the spaghetti was indeed awesome. How could you go wrong with a creamy lemon sauce with asparagus? The fish was good too, but not my favorite fish recipe. This doesn't mean that I wouldn't do the dish again. I'm curious if using sole instead of flounder would change the outcome. All in all, the two dishes went together great.

Note: It probably wasn't necessary to peel the asparagus stalks. I have no idea why that was necessary...