Sole Meunière
Sole Meunière is delicate, buttery, and bright, with tender fish under a whisper-thin golden crust. Nutty browned butter, fresh lemon, and parsley make a simple pan sauce that tastes elegant despite the dish's quick preparation.
Ingredients
Poisson et enrobage
- 2 fillets (about 300 g total)sole fillets
- 30 gplain flour
- 4 gfine salt
- 1 gblack pepper
Cuisson et finition
- 60 gunsalted butter
- 1 mediumlemon
- 10 gflat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- 1
Pat the sole fillets very dry with kitchen paper so they brown instead of steam. Put the flour on a plate and season it with the salt and black pepper. Finely chop the parsley and cut the lemon in half; slice one half into thin slices for serving and squeeze the other half for juice.
- 2
Lightly dredge each fillet in the seasoned flour, then shake off all excess. A very thin coating is key: too much flour will burn before the fish is cooked.
- 3
Set a large frying pan over medium heat and add 25 g of the butter. When the foam subsides, lay in the fillets. Cook for 2-3 minutes on the first side, gently swirling the pan occasionally, until lightly golden at the edges.
- 4
Turn the fillets carefully and cook for 1-2 minutes more, until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with light pressure. Transfer to warm plates.
- 5
Lower the heat slightly and add the remaining 35 g butter to the same pan. Cook until it turns hazelnut-brown and smells nutty, about 1 minute; watch closely so it does not burn. Stir in the lemon juice, letting it bubble briefly, then add most of the parsley.
- 6
Spoon the browned butter sauce over the sole, scatter over the remaining parsley, and serve immediately with the lemon slices alongside.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •Use lemon sole or Dover sole fillets of similar thickness; if the fillets are very thin, reduce the cooking time slightly.
- •Warm the plates before cooking so the fish stays hot while you finish the beurre noisette.
- •Serve with boiled new potatoes, green beans, or a simple salad to keep the meal classic and light.
Background
Sole meunière is a classic French bistro dish in which fish is lightly floured, pan-fried in butter, and finished with lemon and parsley. The term meunière means 'miller's wife style,' referring to the traditional flour coating used before frying.
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