Sole Meunière
Tags: #classic-french #seafood #pan-sauté
Serving: 2 servings
Total time: 25 minutes
A quintessential French preparation of Dover sole, lightly floured and sautéed, finished with nutty brown butter, lemon, and parsley.
Ingredients
- 700g Dover sole, skinned and trimmed (2 small whole fish)
- 50g plain flour
- 6g fine sea salt (for fish)
- 1g white pepper, ground
- 60g clarified butter
- 100g unsalted butter
- 30ml fresh lemon juice
- 2g fine sea salt (for sauce)
- 10g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Steps
- Warm two serving plates in a low oven at 90°C.
- Pat the fish dry with paper towels.
- Combine 6g salt and 1g white pepper in a small bowl.
- Season the fish on both sides with the salt-pepper mixture.
- Spread the flour in a shallow tray.
- Dredge the fish in flour.
- Shake off excess flour from the fish.
- Set the fish on a rack.
- Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.
- Add the clarified butter to the skillet.
- Heat the butter until it shimmers.
- Lay the fish in the skillet, presentation side down.
- Cook the fish for 2–3 minutes without moving.
- Tilt the skillet and baste the top of the fish with hot butter.
- Flip the fish gently.
- Cook the second side for 2–3 minutes until the flesh flakes.
- Transfer the fish to the warm plates.
- Pour off any excess fat from the skillet.
- Add the unsalted butter to the skillet.
- Cook the butter over medium heat until it foams.
- Continue cooking the butter until it turns deep hazelnut brown.
- Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Add the lemon juice to the brown butter.
- Stir the sauce to emulsify.
- Add the parsley to the sauce.
- Season the sauce with 2g fine sea salt.
- Spoon the sauce over the fish.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Best practice: Dry the fish thoroughly and flour lightly for a delicate, crisp exterior. Shake off all excess flour to prevent pasty spots.
- Butter control: Use clarified butter for sautéing to reduce burning; the sauce is made with whole butter for proper beurre noisette (hazelnut-brown) flavor. Stop at deep golden brown; do not let it blacken.