Recipe and photo from Laurent Mariotte and Chromostyle
Sole Meunière is one of those dishes that’s surprisingly easy to make at home, despite its elegant reputation. The rich, nutty brown butter and a touch of lemon juice bring out the delicate flavor of the fish, making this recipe both simple and impressive. It’s the kind of dish that makes you feel like you’ve mastered French cooking, but without the hours in the kitchen.
The beauty of Sole Meunière lies in its simplicity. The fish is lightly floured and pan-fried in butter until golden brown, while the nutty, rich brown butter brings out the fish’s delicate flavor. A squeeze of lemon cuts through the richness and adds the perfect brightness. This recipe feels like the kind of thing that should take hours, but the reality is that it’s quick enough for a weeknight dinner.
The recipe is from Essentials of French Cuisine, a book filled with the kind of French dishes you might think are out of reach for home cooking but are completely doable. Sole Meunière is just the beginning—this book will show you how to bring authentic French flavors into your kitchen without the fuss.
Other Recipes to Try:
Pick up Essentials of French Cuisine for more classics like this, and elevate your home cooking with simple, authentic French dishes.
Sole Meunière
Ingredients
- 8 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
- 4 soles, the black skins removed
- 6 tablespoons superfine lump-free wheat flour
- 100 g (3 1/2 oz) slightly salted butter
- 4 tablespoons sunflower oil
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Chop the parsley finely. Salt and pepper the soles inside and outside.
- Quickly roll them in flour and tap to remove excess flour.
- In 2 large frying pans, heat a third of the butter with the oil until the butter browns a little.
- Fry 2 soles at the same time in two separate pans until golden, 5 minutes on each side, starting with the white skin side first. Keep basting with the butter.
- Once the soles are cooked, place them in a serving dish, pour the lemon juice over them and sprinkle with parsley.
- Melt the rest of the butter in a frying pan and, once it turns brown, pour it over the soles.
Excerpted with permission from Essentials of French Cuisine: Over 80 Simple and Timeless Recipes to Cook at Home by: Laurent Mariotte published by Quadrille, August 2024, RRP $45.00 Hardcover.