Sole meunière, a classic French recipe that highlights the simple flavors of fresh fish, butter, lemon, capers and parsley. Use a really good quality fillet if you can, which is easier to find in the summer months. Dover sole is preferred as the recipe says, I happened to find it Costco, CA. Clarified butter is preferred which takes a few extra minutes to prepare unless you have ghee on hand. clarified butter is ideal for pan-frying fish for a beautiful golden crispiness, color and easy clean up.
A little back story, this was Julia Child’s favorite meal specially because it was the first dish she had when she arrived in France. A life changing dining experience that inspired her fabulous culinary career but also simplified and introduced French cuisine to Americans. If you enjoy culinary genre movies I highly recommend watching Julie & Julia on Amazon Prime or other streaming platforms. It gives a beautiful insight into Julia”s culinary life brilliantly acted by Meryl Streep.
Steps To Make the Perfect Sole Meunière
- Clarified butter or Ghee is preferred as it has a higher smoke point than butter alone + the milk solids are removed, allowing the fish to get a golden crust without burning.
- Dredge the Sole Fish. Pat dry the fillets with paper towels and lightly dredge in seasoned flour.(see images above)
- Cook the Sole. Pan fry the sole fillets in clarified butter until lightly golden on both sides.(2-3 minutes)
- Make the Sauce. Melt butter and add capers and lemon juice. Use a spatula to scrape any bits from the bottom and reduce heat. Stir in chopped parsley.
- Assemble. Spoon the lemon caper sauce over fish and serve immediately
Sole Meunière
Equipment
- Wide frying pan
- large spatula
Ingredients
- 6 fillets fresh Sole skinless, boneless
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 2-3 tbsp clarified butter or ghee
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp non pareil capers
- 1 lemon juiced and zested
- 1 tsp kosher sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 2-3 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Pat the sole fillets dry with kitchen paper towels. Lightly season both sides with sea salt and pepper. Then lightly dredge the fillets in all purpose flour, shaking off any excess flour.
- Heat a frying pan to medium heat. Add one tablespoon of clarified butter or ghee. Gently lay the fillets without overcrowding the pan, mine could fit about 2.
- Fry until lightly golden on the first side, for about 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes or until fish is lightly golden brown. (see images)
- Once cooked, transfer the fish to a platter. Cook the remaining pieces of fish in the same way, adding more cleared butter as needed.
- Once all the pieces are cooked. Melt the butter in the same pan. Add capers, lemon zest(if using) and lemon juice. Scrape any bits from the bottom and reduce heat.( the lemon juice will deglaze any bits). Stir in chopped parsley. Spoon lemon caper sauce over fish and serve right away.
- Best served with mashed potatoes or pilaf rice ,or roast potatoes and vegetables like sautéed broccoli/green beans/ cauliflower/ brussels sprouts. Enjoy!
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