Sole Meunière

While I’m usually prepared to slow-cook, braise, and marinate my meats and poultry, I can’t say the same for fish. I’ve learned that fresh, wild-caught fish is most delicious when it’s romanced with simple ingredients, as done here with this sole meunière.

Sole Meunière

This sole meunière is the perfect example of that. A light dredge in flour, then the fish is off to a pan of brown butter to become succulent and moist beyond belief.

This easy fish recipe is then finished off with a drizzle of lemon butter sauce and a garnish of parsley.

The first time I had a sole meunière, I was in a classic Paris bistro in the 6th. It’s one of those dishes that you just must try in France because even though it carries a subtle flavor here in the States, dover sole in Europe is just something else.

And I guess that explains why the French felt little need to do much with the fish other than cook it in butter and lemon juice. Somehow, though, this lemon butter sauce is utterly tantalizing with the fish, so much so that the sole meunière I enjoyed at that bistro hasn’t escaped my memory.

This easy fish recipe for sole meunière has become a staple in my kitchen ever since.

And if you know me, that’s saying a lot. While I like seafood, I don’t eat it or purchase it as much as I probably should.

I never grew up eating a lot of fish, so even the sight of raw fish at the market is a bit off-putting for me. This all changes once I give the fish a little French TLC; it’s amazing how appetizing the fish becomes.

I suddenly can’t wait to dig into the fish, and when I do, I’m in love. But I guess that’s what happens when you romance fish…it ends up romancing you!

Sole Meuniere

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Dover sole pan-fried in brown butter and topped with a delectable lemon-butter sauce. 

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Ingredients

• 1 fillet of dover sole
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• parsley, to garnish

Instructions

1. Rinse fish under cold water, then pat dry. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
2. Pour the milk into a large, shallow bowl. Pour the flour onto a large dinner plate. Dip both sides of the fish in the milk, then transfer to the flour. Rub flour into both sides of the fish. Shake off excess flour.
3. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter in a pan over medium high heat. Cook the fish on the first side for 2 1/2 minutes. Then flip over and cook for another 1 1/2 minutes.
4. Remove the fish from the pan. Pour out the butter and rinse the pan under water. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and melt over medium heat. Then add the juice of the lemon and give the pan a swirl. Remove the pan from the heat.
5. Pour the butter sauce over the fish and garnish with parsley (and lemon wedges, if desired).

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 448