Serves 4

4 cups gently packed spinach leaves, about 4 ounces
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 dried red chili pods
1 tablespoon thin soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
4 5-ounce pieces fresh filet of sole
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup white flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flavorless cooking oil

In a large bowl, combine spinach, garlic, chili, soy, sesame oil, and sugar. Toss until evenly mixed. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the fish. Dust both sides of fish with flour, shaking off all excess. Place two 12-inch sauté pans over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 cup of the oil to the pans. When the oil become hot, add the sole flat side up in a single layer. Pan-fry about 60 seconds on each side, turning the sole over once. The sole is cooked when it just begins to flake when prodded with a spatula. Transfer to dinner plates. Return one of the pans to the stove over high heat. Add the remaining oil. When the oil just begins to smoke, add the spinach. Using tongs or a spatula, rapidly turn over the spinach leaves. The moment the spinach wilts (but has not begun to expel its moisture), spoon the spinach over the fish. Serve.