Sole à la Meunière is a classic French dish that showcases the delicate flavor of sole fillets. The fish is lightly coated in flour and pan-fried in butter until golden brown, then served with a simple sauce made from the pan drippings, lemon juice, and parsley. This elegant dish is perfect for a special occasion or a weeknight dinner.
This article provides two recipes for Sole à la Meunière: a traditional version and a simplified version. The traditional recipe uses whole sole fillets, which are boned and butterflied before being cooked. The simplified recipe uses sole fillets that have already been boned and butterflied, making it a quicker and easier option.
Both recipes include step-by-step instructions and helpful tips to ensure that your Sole à la Meunière turns out perfectly. The article also provides information on the history of the dish and suggestions for serving it.
Whether you choose the traditional or simplified recipe, you're sure to enjoy this delicious and elegant dish.
SOLE A LA MEUNIERE
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Seafood Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Place the fish, gray side up, on work surface. Using a paring knife, make an incision
- Place flour onto a large shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Press both sides of the fish into the flour, making sure it is fully coated. Shake off any excess flour. Heat the clarified butter in large saute pan over medium heat.
- Set the fish, gray side down, in the pan and saute until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Use a fish spatula (or two large, wide spatulas) to carefully flip the fish and saute until golden brown and cooked throughout (the flesh should flake with a fork and the thickest part of the fish should be opaque), about 3 minutes more.
- Drop the butter pieces into the hot pan, around the fish, let it melt and spoon it over the fish as it finishes cooking. When butter is frothy, squeeze the lemon over it (so the juice runs into the butter) and immediately spoon this over the fish. Sprinkle parsley over fish. (Alternatively, transfer fish to a platter and sprinkle with parsley before adding butter and lemon juice to the pan, swirling to combine.)
- Fillet fish and serve immediately topped with sauce.
SOLE à LA MEUNIèRE
As à la meunière means "in the manner of the miller's wife" in French, it's no surprise that this preparation often calls for the fish to be coated with flour before being sautéed, to promote browning.
Yield Serves 2
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Dredge Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper while heating the clarified butter in a copper oval sauté pan (or a large sauté pan) over medium heat. Pour flour onto a large shallow dish and press both sides of the fish into the flour, making sure it is fully coated. Shake off any excess flour.
- Sauté Set the fish skin side up in the pan and sauté until golden brown underneath, about 4 minutes. Use a fish spatula (or two large, wide spatulas) to carefully flip the fish and sauté until the skin side is golden brown and cooked throughout (the flesh should flake with a fork and the thickest part of the fish should be opaque), about 3 minutes more.
- Make sauce Drop the butter pieces into the hot pan, around the fish, and let it melt. Sprinkle parsley over fish. When butter is frothy, squeeze the lemon over it (so the juice runs into the butter) and immediately spoon this over the fish. (Alternatively, transfer fish to a platter and sprinkle with parsley before adding butter and lemon juice to the pan, swirling to combine.)
- Serve Fillet fish and parcel portions onto plates, then spoon some more of the sauce on top, and serve.
- This recipe calls for removing the skin from one side only. Begin by snipping off the fins (see page 120). Next, make a small incision in the skin just above the tail. Hold the skin at the incision and then carefully peel back a small portion to make a flap. Holding the flap firmly in one hand and the tail firmly in the other, quickly pull the skin back toward the head to remove skin in one piece.
- True Dover sole, which comes only from the waters of the Atlantic off the Dover coast of England, is difficult to find in the United States and fairly expensive. Gray sole and petrale sole (both of which are actually types of flounder), are perfectly fine. If you'd rather not trim the fish yourself, ask your fishmonger to do this.
- Because clarified butter (page 88) has a higher smoke point than regular butter, it is the cooking fat of choice for sautéing delicate fish such as sole.
- Wondra is a low-protein flour that has been processed so it dissolves instantly. (It is often called "instant flour" for this reason.) Since it is less likely to clump than all-purpose flours, it has long been a favorite among chefs for the ultralight coating it gives sautéed fish.
SOLE MEUNIèRE
The dish that made Julia Child fall in love with French cuisine, sole meunière highlights the simple flavors of fresh fish, butter, lemon and parsley. Fish is the center of the dish, so using a quality fillet is important: A true English Dover sole is preferred. Clarified butter, which takes a few extra minutes to prepare, can take on heat without browning, making it ideal for pan-frying fish. A classic sole meunière is made with a bone-in fillet, but boneless sole is faster and easier. You'll find a recipe for clarified butter here. This recipe is part of The New Essentials of French Cooking, a guide to definitive dishes every modern cook should master. Buy the book.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories dinner, lunch, seafood, main course
Time 20m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Heat oven to 200 degrees and place a large oven-safe plate or baking sheet inside.
- Place flour on a large, shallow plate. Season both sides of fish fillets with salt and pepper to taste. Dredge fish in flour, shaking off excess.
- In a 12-inch nonstick or enamel-lined skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons clarified butter until bubbling. Place half of the fish fillets in the pan and cook until just done, 2 to 3 minutes per side, then transfer to the plate or baking sheet in the oven to keep warm. Add 2 more tablespoons clarified butter to skillet and heat until bubbling, then cook remaining fillets. Wipe out the skillet.
- Arrange the fish on a warm serving platter. Top with parsley. In reserved skillet, heat remaining 4 tablespoons unsalted butter until bubbling and golden, 1 to 2 minutes, then pour evenly over fillets. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges on the side.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 291, UnsaturatedFat 6 grams, Carbohydrate 8 grams, Fat 18 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 24 grams, SaturatedFat 11 grams, Sodium 335 milligrams, Sugar 0 grams, TransFat 0 grams
EASY SOLE MEUNIERE
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Have 2 heat-proof dinner plates ready
- Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large shallow plate. Pat the sole fillets dry with paper towels and sprinkle one side with salt.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat until it starts to brown. Dredge 2 sole fillets in the seasoned flour on both sides and place them in the hot butter. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes. Turn carefully with a metal spatula and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. While the second side cooks, add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to the pan. Carefully put the fish filets on the ovenproof plates and pour the sauce over them. Keep the cooked fillets warm in the oven while you repeat the process with the remaining 2 fillets. When they're done, add the cooked fillets to the plates in the oven. Sprinkle with the parsley, salt, and pepper and serve immediately.
DOVER SOLE A LA MEUNIERE
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly dredge Dover sole in seasoned flour. Heat 1 1/2-ounces of olive oil in a medium pan until it begins to smoke. Saute sole until golden brown on each side (about 1 to 2 minutes per side). Finish in oven for 4 minutes. Debone sole.
- Sauce: Add 2 ounces of whole butter to a small fry pan and heat until the butter gets brown. Add white wine, lemon, parsley salt and pepper. Pour over sole.
SOLE MEUNIERE
This recipe is inspired by the one in "Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home" (copyright Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, published by Alfred A. Knopf). Ask your fishmonger to clean the fish for you.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Seafood Recipes
Time 1h
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Sole: Heat a saute pan over medium-high. Season both sides of fish with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge each fish in flour, turning and pressing lightly to coat. Shake off excess and place on a platter.
- Swirl half of oil and butter in pan and, when foam subsides, place 1 fish in pan, white skin-side down. Saute until browned on first side, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn fish over carefully and saute until other side is crisp and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a serving plate.
- Repeat with remaining oil and butter to saute remaining fish, then transfer it to another plate.
- Beurre noisette: Sprinkle half of parsley on each fish. Heat butter in a medium saucepan over high, swirling to melt. Cook until starting to brown, then remove from heat, and, as butter darkens to a hazelnut color, toss in capers and lemon juice; swirl to combine. Pour beurre noisette over fish and serve.
SOLE MEUNIèRE
This popular French classic coats the fish in seasoned flour which lightly protects the fish without overpowering its flavour
Provided by Good Food team
Categories Dinner, Supper
Time 12m
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Check the fish for small bones and pull any out with tweezers. In a large shallow bowl, season the flour with a little salt and black pepper. Toss the fish in the flour, coating well, and shake off any excess.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the fish and cook, skin-side down, for 2 mins. Use a fish slice or large spatula to turn, then cook the other side for 1-2 mins until golden.
- Remove the fish to a warmed plate, then season. Wipe out the pan with kitchen paper. Return the pan to the heat, then add the butter. Heat until it melts and begins to turn a light brown, then mix in the lemon juice and capers, if using. Swirl in the pan for a few secs, return fish to the pan and spoon over any juices. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 501 calories, Fat 36 grams fat, SaturatedFat 14 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 18 grams carbohydrates, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 27 grams protein, Sodium 0.67 milligram of sodium
Tips:
- To ensure the freshest fish, purchase sole fillets that are firm to the touch, have a mild odor, and are free of any discoloration.
- Before cooking, pat the sole fillets dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. This will help the fish to brown evenly and prevent it from steaming.
- Season the sole fillets generously with salt and pepper. This will help to enhance their natural flavor.
- Use a heavy-bottomed skillet for cooking the sole fillets. This will help to prevent the fish from sticking to the pan and will also ensure that it cooks evenly.
- Heat the butter and oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. The butter will add flavor to the fish, while the oil will help to prevent it from sticking.
- Once the butter and oil are hot, add the sole fillets to the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until the fish is cooked through. The fish is cooked through when it flakes easily with a fork.
- Serve the sole fillets immediately with your favorite sides, such as lemon wedges, roasted vegetables, or mashed potatoes.
Conclusion:
Sole à la Meunière is a classic French dish that is both simple to prepare and delicious to eat. By following the tips above, you can easily create a restaurant-quality sole fillet at home. This dish is perfect for a special occasion or a weeknight meal. Enjoy!
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