Sole a la meuniere is a classic French dish that showcase the delicate flavor of sole fillets. The method of preparation, known as "meuniere," involves dredging the fillets in flour and pan-frying them in butter, resulting in a golden-brown crust and a tender, flaky interior. This elegant dish is typically accompanied by a simple sauce made with lemon juice, butter, and parsley, which enhances the natural flavors of the sole. Whether you are a seasoned home cook or a novice in the kitchen, this article will guide you through the steps of creating a delicious and memorable sole a la meuniere that will impress your family and friends.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
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.
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 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.
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.
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
SOLE MEUNIERE
Provided by Molly O'Neill
Categories dinner, main course
Time 15m
Yield Four servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a shallow bowl, stir together the milk and Tabasco sauce. Place the flour in a shallow dish and season with 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper to taste. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Dip the sole in the milk and then coat on both sides with the flour mixture.
- Saute the fish until just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Carefully remove from the skillet with a spatula and place 1 fillet on each of 4 plates. Lower the heat, add the lemon juice to the skillet and stir just to scrape up any browned bits in the skillet. Spoon over the fish, season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 253, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 28 grams, Fat 6 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 22 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 556 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams, TransFat 0 grams
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.
CLASSIC SOLE MEUNIèRE
Provided by Molly Wizenberg
Categories Fish Dinner Butter Lemon Juice Bon Appétit Sugar Conscious Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added Kosher
Yield Makes 2 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- For fish:
- Place flour in pie dish. Rinse fish; pat with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of fish with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Dredge fish on both sides with flour; shake off excess. Place on platter.
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until oil is hot and shimmers. Add butter; quickly swirl skillet to coat. When foam subsides, add fish and cook until golden on bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully turn fish over and cook until opaque in center and golden on bottom, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide fish between 2 warmed plates; tent with foil. Pour off drippings from skillet; wipe with paper towels.
- For sauce:
- Place skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter; cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and lemon juice (sauce may sputter). Spoon sauce over fish. Serve with lemon wedges.
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 sole fillets are evenly cooked, ensure they are of a similar thickness. If necessary, use a sharp knife to trim them.
- Dredge the sole fillets in flour before pan-frying them. This will help to create a crispy coating and prevent the fish from sticking to the pan.
- Use a large skillet or sauté pan for cooking the sole fillets. This will allow the fish to cook evenly without overcrowding the pan.
- Heat the butter and oil in the pan over medium heat before adding the sole fillets. This will help to prevent the butter from burning.
- Cook the sole fillets for 2-3 minutes per side, or until they are cooked through. The fish should be opaque and flaky when cooked.
- Serve the sole fillets immediately with lemon wedges and your favorite sides.
Conclusion:
Sole à la Meunière is a classic French dish that is both simple to prepare and delicious. The delicate flavor of the sole is complemented by the crispy coating and the rich butter sauce. This dish is sure to impress your guests and is perfect for a special occasion.
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