Petrole Sole with Asparagus and Saffron Jasmine Rice

FoodInspired

Tonight I made petrole sole with asparagus and saffron jasmine rice. Exotic, yes, and delicious!
Petrole Sole is a white, flat, tender and delicate fish with no fishy taste that is great for steaming, broiling, or baking. You can do pan fried as well, but I am all about healthy and tasty, so I stick with the good for you (and usually less work involved) techniques.

Petrole Sole is also enviromentally safe (Monterey Bay acquarium rates them as a "Good Alternative" as long as it is U.S. Pacific, wild caught). Don't confuse them with the U.S. Atlantic as the Atlantic sole is overfished.

I got about 2/3 of a pound for $19 per pound for 2 adults. Yes, for some it may be pricey, for others it is just right. A great substitute is Tilapia U.S. Farmed (nothing else will do unless you are ok with getting Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras Tilapia which are all a "Good Alternative").

Line a baking sheet with some foil and lightly spray with a cooking spray. Toss in asparagus, ends trimmed, and lightly season. Spray the asparagus with the cooking spray and lay the fish filets on top. Sprinkle them with some salt and Tagine Spices (that's a Moroccan spice blend that you can find in a better grocery stores). Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes. There may be small bones, so watch out when you eat.

To make a saffron jasmine rice in a snap (well, 20 minutes) do the following:
Use 1 Qt. non-stick pot and heat 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock with a pinch of saffron to allow it to bloom
Rinse 2/3 of a cup of dry jasmine rice under cold water (white, it cooks in 20 mins)
add rice to the liquid in a pot
cover it and simmer on low heat for 18 minutes, but check the liquid level since it will slowly evaporate (but you don't want to burn the rice, add spoonfulls if you still have too much time on the clock and the liquid is almost gone).
At the end of the 18 minute mark, turn off the heat but keep the rice covered. All of the liquid should be absorbed

Serve with the fish and sprinkle with fresh basil. The dish is very satisfying and curiously out of this world. The saffron and the tagine spices make for a lively combination. You can add a bit of zippiness with a squeeze of a fresh lemon juice.

Enjoy!

FoodInspired