Faux-ver sole, or: The Dover Deception

Last week I saw a special on dover sole at the fish counter at Whole Foods, bought a few filets and then sat down to determine what to do with it. The first book I looked in was the Balthazar cookbook, one of only two big name restaurant cookbooks I find actually practical for the home cook, as opposed to being merely coffee table food porn like The French Laundry cookbook. (The other is Charlie Trotter Cooks At Home; sounds like Bourdain's Les Halles book would be another.) Sure enough, I quickly had a receipe for that old classic Sole Meuniere which was simplicity itself, but sure to be delectable with such a fine, delicately flaky, wondrous fish.

But I always like a second opinion, and so I grabbed another book I hadn't read in a while, Taste by David Rosengarten, whom I used to watch back when FoodTV was about food more than about being TV. And I learned this which, an informal survey has revealed, is not widely known:

David Rosengarten wrote:Usually what's labeled "sole" in America... is flounder. The slim icthyological basis for this is that flounder, fluke, and scores of other American fish belong to a very large international group of fish, including sole, called flatfish... and watch out especially on the west coast where clever fish namers have officially called a type of Pacific flounder Dover sole; if you say, that's not Dover sole, they can officially answer, "Yes, it is."

Sure enough, the label pays enough tribute to truth to say "West Coast Dover Sole," which is apparently more honesty than it even needed to have, legally.

So now the question arises: have I ever even actually had Dover sole? Is it so rare that even the high-end times I've had it have all been this west coast Faux-ver sole, and no one any longer expects the real thing any more than "wasabi" is expected to actually be made of wasabi-- or a "Hamburger" is expected to be imported from Germany?

How was it? It was fine, but it wasn't divine. I want to try the real thing someday-- or at least know if I already have....

Mike,

Here is what James Beard had to say about this question (James Beard's New Fish Cookery, originally published 1954, p. 233)

There is no genuine sole in American waters, but more fish called sole are served in our restaurants than any other kind. We tend to apply the name "sole" to any white fish that comes in fillets, with the result that the average diner has only the haziest idea of what fish he is eating. Generally, he is eating one of the abundant members of the flounder family -- the dab, the gray sole, the yellowtail, the winter flounder, the lemon sole.

I'd say the odds are that you haven't eaten sole, at least not in this country.

During my years in Belgium I ate a lot of North Sea/Channel sole (zeetong in Dutch) both out in restaurants and at home, bought fresh that morning at the Friday morning open-air market in the Vismarkt of Leuven; whenever I'm back in that general part of Europe, even if it's just for a couple of days, I make sure to have it at least once.* Much like flounder from our side of the Atlantic it is delicate with regard to texture and flavour but it definitely does have flavour (something which flat fish I buy here sometimes don't really have) and consequently very simple recipes are what work best with it. It is different and, I think one could reasonably say 'better' or at least 'personally preferred' about it in comparison with what we get here, but I think a good, fresh, well-handled East Coast flounder is also a very delicious fish.

There are a number of restaurants which specialise in seafood in Brugge and one of my favourite meals in Belgium starts with the local 'chowder' (Zeebrugse vissoep) followed by any one of several delectable zeetong preparations.

Eet smakelijk!
Antonius

* A couple of days in Belgium, like a couple of days in France or Italy, is an exercise in frustration with regard to having to make near impossible choices between good things to eat that you can't get here.

Rosengarten does say that true Dover sole is imported regularly, by the way. But it's not surprising that it's not on special on Whole Foods for $7.99/lb. or something.

Mike, I used to eat the Dover Sole regularly at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central. It's a delicate bt flavorful fish. The flesh is sweeter versus the blandness of flounder that you find on most American menus. It's also quite pricey costing the about same as a really good steak at Sparks.

Dover sole reatins great flavor when cooked on the bone. Most good restarants will filet it tableside for you. It's best with a really simple preparation. I like it sauteed in lemon and butter both which highlight the sweetness of the fish.

I don't know how to tell you how to identify Dover Sole in a fish monger's. But, I do know how to tell you how to spot a fraud: look at the price tag. If it's selling for less than $20 a pound, it's very likely not Dover Sole. That said, there are certainly disreputable fish mongers or grocers who will sell you flounder for $20 a pound while calling it dover sole.

It's been years since I've et there (Mrs. F's aversion to fish), but Dover Straits in Mundelein and Hoffman Estates claims to have

Imported Dover Sole- House specialty. From the cold waters of the White
Cliffs off Dover comes this continental delicacy. careful preparation has enhanced the taste of this fine fish. Served with amondine sauce. Market Price

I recall having it once with wonderful sauteed roe.

I haven't been there in quite some time, but the Cape Cod Room in the Drake used to serve it (the real deal). Also, Tavern on Rush features it as a special most (but not all) of the time. Both places bone it tableside.

Tavern on Rush
1031 N. Rush
Chicago, IL
312-664-9600

Cape Cod Room
The Drake Hotel
140 E. Walton
Chicago, IL
312-787-2200

Back in the day, the Partner in Charge would eat at nothing less than Nick's Fish Market. Hence, there was a two or so year period of prosperity where I got to dine semi-regularly at Nick's. And of course I would get the Dover Sole. Very, very expensive, but really good. The flesh is delicate, but I found it a lot firmer than most small fin fish. Or was it the melted butter?

Nick's Fish Market
First National Plaza (or whatever its called these days)
Chicago, IL
312) 621-0200

I had it recently at Merlo, where it was prepared in an Italian manner roughly equivalent to en brochette. I was greatly underwhelmed by the dish, but I do understand that the delicate flavour and texture of true Sole stands to lose alot when cooked apart from the frame.

Oh, and at $28, I should certainly hope that the few ounces I was served were "true."

Erik M.