Sole Meunière

Mmm… butter.

For those of you who love butter, this is certainly a dish worth trying. It sounds fancy, looks impressive, and is easy to make. Sole Meunière is a classic French dish featuring filets of sole dredged in flour, cooked in butter, and drizzled with a lemon butter sauce. My take on the dish is mostly traditional, differing only in the substitution of extra-virgin olive oil for some of the butter. I don’t think you’ll notice the difference, but feel free to use all butter if that’s what makes you happy. And I promise, this recipe will make you happy.

** In case you are curious, the veggies in the picture are the Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic I posted awhile back. Delish.
Sole Meunière

Ingredients:
1 lb sole filets (you can substitute another thin white fish)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 T. butter, divided
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 T. flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions:
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and the olive oil over medium-high heat.

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish (a pie plate works well). Dredge fish in flour mixture, making sure to shake off any excess flour.

When the butter has melted, add half of the fish filets to the skillet. (You will need to work in two batches so the fish does not overlap in the skillet.) Cook two minutes, then flip the filets and cook for two more minutes. Remove fish from skillet and keep warm. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining filets to skillet and cook two minutes on each side. Remove from pan; add to other filets and keep warm.

Wipe out pan with a paper towel, taking care to remove any brown bits. (I did not do this, which explains why my sauce was a deep brown, not the golden color you are looking for.)

Melt remaining two tablespoons of butter in pan. Add lemon juice and parsley. Stir to combine. Drizzle sauce over fish filets. Serve immediately.