Sole Meunière

Sole Meunière — the simple French preparation of flounder dusted in flour and fried in foaming butter — is widely considered one of the great revelations of classical French cuisine, reportedly the dish that converted Julia Child to French cooking on her first day in France in 1948. The technique relies on perfect timing and a nutty beurre noisette (brown butter) sauce built directly in the pan.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 whole Dover sole or lemon sole, about 300g (10 oz) each, skin-on, trimmed
• Fine sea salt and white pepper
• 80g (⅔ cup) plain flour
• 60ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil
• 120g (4 oz / ½ cup) unsalted butter, divided
• Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tbsp / 45ml)
• Small handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Instructions

1. Pat the sole completely dry with paper towels. Season well on both sides with salt and white pepper.
2. Spread flour on a wide plate. Dredge each sole in flour, pressing gently to coat both sides evenly, then shake off excess.
3. Heat a large frying pan (or two pans to avoid crowding) over medium-high heat. Add oil and 30g butter. When butter foams and subsides, lay the sole in the pan, presentation side (non-skin side) down.
4. Cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until golden. Carefully flip and cook for another 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a warm plate.
5. Discard used fat from the pan. Add remaining 90g butter and return to medium heat. Swirl as it melts, foams, then turns golden-hazelnut in colour — about 2–3 minutes.
6. Remove from heat, add lemon juice (it will foam), and parsley. Pour immediately over the fish.
7. Serve at once with lemon wedges and boiled new potatoes or steamed green beans.

Cook's Notes: Speed is essential — the beurre noisette should go from hazelnut to burned in seconds. Have the fish plated and ready before you start the butter. Use a light-coloured pan to monitor the butter colour. The full flavour of meunière is in the butter; do not skimp.