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Ingredients
½ cup all-purpose flour
6 4-ounce skinless, boneless sole or other thin fish fillets, patted dry
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground white or black pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons clarified butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
3 tablespoons minced parsley
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 200 degrees and place a large oven-safe plate or baking sheet inside.
- Step 2
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.
- Step 3
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.
- Step 4
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.
Private Notes
Comments
If you're worried about "fishy" flavor, soak the fillets in milk for a half hour before dredging with flour. I've been doing flounder or sole meuniere this way for years--it's fool proof unless you get fish that had preservatives added to it. If the fish is semi-translucent when you see it in the store, it may be preservative-laced. It won't crisp up, and the texture after cooking is like that of bread dough. Look for fillets that are a nice opaque white.
A deglaze of the pan after removing fish, and before adding butter, using a good splash of dry white wine is de rigueur.
I am incredibly fussy about fish so if there is anything "fishy" about the smell or taste I turn up my nose. This recipe turned out so fresh and delicious I actually had seconds! I used frozen dover sole fillets from Trader Joes that were not too pricey. To prevent the fillets from curling, I scored the fillets before frying. Also, I used a copper saucepan with aluminum coating to make the brown butter so I could observe the change in color. What a wonderful dish!
This is missing the lemon and capers. Essentials for the Sole Meuniere.
As simple as it gets. Delicious. When sole is on sale at my favorite market, this is how I prepare it. Sometimes adding fresh thyme to the pan.
Most delicate, delicious and easy. I wouldn't change a thing. I used Dover Sole and followed the recipe exactly. A keeper!


