Pan Seared Sole with Dill and Mayo

Sole filets dusted and into the pan. Two minutes per side and you’re basically done. The mayo-anchovy sauce is where this gets good — salty, bright, kind of unexpectedly rich without being heavy. Works because the fish is so lean.

Why You’ll Love This Dill and Mayo Salmon

Takes 40 minutes total. Prep to plate. Feels fancy. Tastes even better. Mediterranean vibes without leaving your kitchen. One skillet, one bowl. Cleanup happens in five minutes. Works as an easy dinner on a Tuesday or something you’d serve to people you actually like. Same recipe either way. The anchovy paste — sounds weird. Changes everything. Not fishy. Just salty in a way that makes you want more. Broccoli gets nutty from the pan. Sole doesn’t overcook because you’re watching it the whole time.

What You Need for Pan-Seared Dover Sole

Mayo. A quarter cup. Good quality matters here — texture stays smooth, flavor’s cleaner. Lemon juice. Fresh squeezed. Bottled stuff tastes sharp in a bad way. Anchovy paste. A teaspoon and a quarter. Sounds like a lot. Isn’t. Brings salt and depth to the sauce. Broccoli. Two medium heads. Steam them until they’re done but still have snap — not the mushy kind. Sole filets. A pound and a third. Fresh or thawed. Thin, white, cooks fast. Dover sole if you can find it. Regular sole works fine. Flour. All-purpose. Just enough to coat. Too much and the pan gets gummy. Olive oil. Extra virgin. Three and a half tablespoons total — some for the fish, some for the broccoli after. Cherry tomatoes. Fourteen halves. Adds brightness. Cuts through the richness. Lemon zest. Finely grated. The finish.

How to Make Lemon Mayo Salmon

Mix the mayo with lemon juice and anchovy paste in a small bowl. Stir until it looks smooth and tastes right — if the anchovy’s too loud, back off. Chill it. You’ll finish with this sauce, so taste as you go.

Set up your steamer. Broccoli florets go in the basket, water simmering underneath, cover on tight. About six minutes and they should bend but not fall apart. Soggy broccoli defeats the whole point. Drain and set aside when they’re done.

While that’s going, flour your sole. Light. Shake off the excess — flour sitting on the fish just absorbs moisture and makes a pasty crust. You want a thin coat that browns, not a shell.

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Wait for it to shimmer, then barely move. That’s when you lay the filets down carefully. Should sizzle immediately. Not aggressively — just a clean, lively sound. That’s how you know the pan’s right.

One and three-quarter minutes per side. Watch the underside. When it goes golden and the edges start lifting naturally, flip once. Other side gets the same time. Sole’s thin and cooks fast. Overdo it by thirty seconds and it gets dry.

Season with salt and pepper. Move it to a warm plate, tent loosely with foil to keep the heat in. Resting matters.

How to Get White Fish Dinner Right

Same pan, no washing. Add the remaining olive oil. Broccoli goes in and you want it to brown, not steam. Stir often — three to four minutes, edges turning darker, texture shifting from steamed to nutty. If it starts sticking, splash of water or lower the heat.

The fish rests, the broccoli browns, the sauce sits cold in the bowl.

Plate it like this: broccoli first, then fish on top. Spoon the mayo-anchovy sauce over — it should coat, not drown. Scatter the tomato halves around. Zest the lemon over everything. Bright. Sharp. Finishing touch.

Cut lemon wedges for the side. Some people want more acid. Some don’t. Serve now.

Pan-Seared Dover Sole Tips and Mistakes

Sole cooks in seconds. Watch it the whole time. A flake test — push the thickest part with your fork — tells you better than staring at it.

Anchovy paste confuses people. Don’t skip it. It’s not a “fish sauce” situation. It disappears into salt and umami. The sauce would taste flat without it.

Mayo temperature matters when you’re mixing. If it’s cold straight from the fridge, it doesn’t blend smoothly. Warm it for thirty seconds — not hot, just room temp — and everything combines faster.

Flour the fish right before it hits the pan. Earlier and the flour gets damp and weird. The crust won’t crisp right.

If you’ve never had sole, it’s milder than salmon. More delicate. Cooks differently. Don’t confuse the two in this recipe — the timing’s built for sole specifically.

Broccoli can swap for green beans or asparagus. Steam the same way. Tomatoes can roast for five minutes if you want them warm instead of raw.

The sauce can go further with a drizzle of olive oil at the end, or a pinch of smoked paprika if you’re in that mood.

Pan Seared Sole with Dill and Mayo

By Emma

Prep:

25 min

Cook:

15 min

Total:

40 min

Servings:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 65 ml 1/4 cup good-quality mayonnaise
• 12 ml 3 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 6 ml 1 1/4 tsp anchovy paste
• 2 medium broccolis, stems peeled and cut into florets (reserve stems for broth or soup)
• 70 ml 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
• 600 g 1 1/3 lb sole filets, fresh or thawed
• 50 ml 3 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 14 cherry tomatoes, halved (substitute with grape tomatoes based on season)
• 1 lemon, zest finely grated

Method

1. 1 Mix mayo, lemon juice, anchovy paste thoroughly in a small bowl. Adjust anchovy amount if too salty. Chill until serving.
2. 2 Set up steamer: place broccolis in perforated steamer basket over simmering water. Cover and steam until just tender but with bite, about 6 minutes. Avoid soggy greens. Drain and set aside.
3. 3 While broccoli steams, lightly dust each sole filet with flour. Shake off excess—too much flour clogs pan and dries fish.
4. 4 Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers and just starts to move, add filets carefully. Sizzle should sound crisp and lively. Cook fish 1 3/4 to 2 minutes per side until underside is golden brown and edges lift naturally.
5. 5 Season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove fish to warm plate tented with foil. Resting keeps it moist.
6. 6 Use same pan, add remaining 1 1/2 tbsp oil. Toss in steamed broccoli for quick brown. Shifts texture, adds nuttiness. Stir often, 3 to 4 minutes until edges caramelize lightly. If broccoli sticks, add splash of water or turn heat down.
7. 7 Arrange broccoli and fish on warmed plates. Spoon thick mayo-anchovy sauce over fish—it should coat but not drown.
8. 8 Scatter halved cherry tomatoes over, then zest lemon zest over top for bright aroma and finish.
9. 9 Serve immediately, cut lemon wedges on side if more acidity is desired.
10. 10 Tips: If no anchovy paste, swap with finely minced olives or capers for briny punch. If mayo too cold and stiff, warm slightly before mixing. Flour fish last minute to avoid sogginess. Watch fish closely; sole cooks fast and flake test indicates doneness better than time.
11. 11 Broccoli can be replaced with green beans or asparagus, steamed same way. Tomatoes can be roasted briefly for warmth and sweetness instead of raw.
12. 12 Try finishing sauce with a drizzle of olive oil or a pinch of smoked paprika for smoky undertone. Variation depends on mood and pantry.

Nutritional information

Calories

310

Protein

25g

Carbs

10g

Fat

21g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Salmon with Dill and Mayo

Can I use mayo and mustard instead of just mayo? Sure. Dijon works. Cuts the richness a bit. Changes the flavor profile — less about the anchovy, more about sharp mustard. Try it half and half first.

What if I don’t have anchovy paste? Minced olives work. Capers too. Both bring salt and briny depth. Not identical, but close enough that nobody notices.

How do I know when the sole is actually done? The underside goes golden and the flesh flakes when you push it with a fork. Takes a minute and forty-five seconds to two minutes per side. Don’t trust time — watch it.

Can I bake this instead of pan-searing? Probably. Won’t get the same crust though. If you go that route, 400 degrees, six to eight minutes total. Dust with flour and brush with olive oil first. Different texture entirely.

The broccoli gets mushy. How do I fix it? Six minutes is approximate. Test it at five. If it bends easily, pull it out. If it’s still too firm, another minute. Also matters how big your florets are. Smaller ones finish faster.

Do I really need the lemon zest at the end? Yeah. It looks good but also tastes good. Brightness cuts through the mayo-anchovy richness. Finish without it and something’s missing.

Can I prep this ahead? The sauce yes, easily. Make it the morning of. Fish and broccoli need to cook fresh. Cooked sole sitting around gets drier.