A French Way to Make Fish Shine

Named for a miller's wife, but fit for royalty, sole meunière is a simple yet elegant classic

Delicate Dover sole, simply dredged and pan-fried, is finished with a bath of bright lemon-brown butter sauce. (Audrey Le Goff)

Sole meunière is one of those dishes that sounds fancy, but really isn’t. This staple of the French repertoire features simple Dover sole fillets lightly dredged in flour, pan-fried, and bathed in a brown butter sauce with lemon and parsley. The bright sauce allows the delicate flavors of the fish to shine, with a result that’s zingy, crisp yet juicy, and truly satisfying.

“Meunière” literally translates to “miller’s wife” or “female miller,” referring to the fish being dredged in flour before being cooked. This dish has been highly popular for centuries in France, as it was said to be one of King Louis XIV’s favorite dishes in the 17th century.

Across the Atlantic, sole meunière was made famous much later on by American cook Julia Child, known for her cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”. In her memoir “My Life In France“, Julia Child recounts that sole meunière was the first meal she had when she arrived with her husband at Restaurant La Couronne, in Rouen, in 1948. She described it as “absolute perfection. It was the most exciting meal of my life.” This was the dish, she said, that sparked her journey from simply a person who loved eating to becoming a passionate cook.

Choosing Your Ingredients

A simple recipe like sole meunière relies on quality ingredients, not on any special culinary skills. Two ingredients are worth focusing on: the fish and the brown butter.

The Sole

Sole meunière is an excellent, classic way to prepare sole. The quality of the fish, being the star ingredient, will go a long way.

Sole meunière is traditionally made with a whole, bone-in Dover sole—or sole franche in French—but you’ll very often find it prepared with boneless filets nowadays, as with this recipe, since they’re quicker to cook and often more affordable. If you decide to go for a whole fish, make sure you have a pan large enough to fit it—or, you can ask the fishmonger to cut off the head—and adjust the cooking time accordingly, by adding at least 1 minute extra per side.

Most recipes also call for the fish’s skin to be removed, as it tends to get soft in the butter sauce and isn’t pleasant to eat.

Ideally, choose freshly caught Dover sole from the fishmonger, market, or grocery stand. The flesh should look shiny and feel slippery and firm to the touch. If opting for a whole fish, look for eyes that are clear and plump, not sunken. If using frozen fish or fish fillets, make sure they are very well thawed and pat them dry before cooking to remove any excess moisture.

If you can’t find Dover sole, other lean flatfish, such as flounder or halibut, are good alternatives.

The Brown Butter

Known in French as beurre-noisette, brown butter is the base of sole meunière’s signature sauce. Used regularly in both French cooking and baking, brown butter is made by melting and gently cooking butter to toast the milk solids, until it takes on a golden-brown color and rich, nutty flavor.

Do not skip this step! For the right flavor, it’s important you take the time to make the brown butter properly for this recipe—you won’t regret it. Try to find European-style butter, which has a higher fat content.

Sole Meunière

Relying on the freshest sole you can get, this classic French dish is meant to let the fish simply shine. It should be served à la minute, meaning that the fish should be pan-fried quickly and doused in the butter sauce immediately before serving. In upscale restaurants, the dish is often made tableside. Serve it with rice, small potatoes (fingerling or new potatoes), and a side of green vegetables.

Serves 4

For the Sauce

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 2 medium lemons)
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped curly parsley

For the Fish

• 4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless sole fillets
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Make the brown butter: In a small saucepan (ideally with a light-colored bottom, to more easily monitor the color), melt the butter over medium-low heat, whisking frequently. Once completely melted, the butter will start to simmer and foam. This takes 3 to 4 minutes.

When the butter stops foaming, let it continue to cook undisturbed. Keep a close eye on it and watch for golden specks to form at the bottom of the pan. Smell the butter for nutty aromas. This should take about 4 to 5 minutes. Be careful, as it’s easy to go from brown butter to burnt butter. When the butter turns golden brown, remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter into a cold bowl to stop the cooking process (don’t wash the pan yet—you’ll need it again later). Set aside and cool to room temperature.

Brown the butter; watch for golden specks forming at the bottom of the pan and smell for nutty aromas. (Audrey Le Goff)

Prepare the fish: Rinse the fish gently under cold water and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Check the fish for small bones and pick them out with tweezers, if found.

In a large bowl or shallow plate, whisk together the flour with salt and pepper. Gently coat the fish on both sides with the flour and shake off any excess. Set aside.

Dredge the fish fillets in seasoned flour. (Audrey Le Goff)

Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the fish and cook for 2 minutes. Flip gently and cook for another 2 minutes. Place the fish on warm plates or a serving dish.

Pan-fry the fillets in butter. (Audrey Le Goff)

Finish the sauce: Return the cooled brown butter to the saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the lemon juice and half of the chopped parsley. Swirl the sauce around for a few seconds to warm it up, then spoon over the fish. Sprinkle with the rest of the parsley and serve immediately.

Finish the sauce and pour it over the fish. (Audrey Le Goff)