Discover the classic French dish that was the impetus for Julia Child’s career and made her fall in love with French cuisine: Sole Meunière. Its impressive presentation belies the short ingredient list and simple cooking techniques, but the end result of this French sole recipe will wow you with flavor.
Succulent and crispy Dover sole fish is covered in brown butter sauce (or beurre noisette) and finished with fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley for a dish so refined and divine that you’ll forget you aren’t sitting in a Parisian café. Instead, elevate your weekly dinners with this simple dish or treat your friends to this dover sole recipe at your next dinner party.
If you’d like to try more exquisite French recipes, then check out my French macarons, steak au poivre, quiche lorraine, or canelés.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Dover Sole – also known as sole, you will need two deboned and skinned sole fillets to make this recipe. If you can’t find sole or if it is out of season, you can also use another thin, delicate fish like petrale sole, flounder, whiting, or trout.
All-Purpose Flour – a quick dredging in the flour gives the Dover sole meunière a crispy exterior and locks in the fish’s natural moisture. It also gives the sauce something to cling to!
Unsalted Butter – adds unparalleled richness and flavor to the meunière sauce. For the best results, be sure to use unsalted butter, as the salt content in salted butter varies by brand.
Vegetable Oil – the perfect oil for frying the fish to a delicious golden brown. Frying in regular butter can burn the milk solids, so I prefer oil for this step. For a richer flavor, you can use clarified butter in its place since the solids have been removed from the butter.
Parsley – adds clean and peppery notes to the lemon butter sauce, making it well-balanced and oh-so-delicious.
Lemon – a key ingredient in the meunière sauce as its flavor is derived from only a few simple ingredients. Slice additional lemon wedges to garnish and squeeze over individual servings.
How to Make Sole Meunière
1. Place the flour in a shallow dish. Season the fish fillets generously with salt and pepper. Dredge the seasoned fish fillets in the flour, shaking off any excess.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and 1 tablespoon of butter until bubbling. Add the fillets and cook just until the fish is done, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the fillets to serving plates or a serving platter and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.
3. Wipe the skillet clean and return it to medium heat. Add the 3 tablespoons of remaining butter, swirling until bubbling and just starting to turn golden brown in color as the milk solids toast, about 1 minute.
4. Carefully stir in the lemon juice and pour the hot butter sauce over the fish fillets. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and an additional sprinkle of salt and black pepper if needed.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Dry the fish. Pat the fish dry with paper towels before dredging it in the flour. This will make the fish extra crispy when fried.
- Don’t dredge too soon. Dredge the fish right before frying. Fish does not do well being dredged ahead of time, as the flour will get soggy and will not fry up well.
- Use a fork to test doneness. The fish is done when it is mostly firm and flakes easily with a fork, or after it has cooked for 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Watch the heat or the butter can burn! Be careful not to burn the butter. The line between browned butter and burned butter is very thin; remove the pan from the heat as soon as the butter is starting to turn golden, as the sauce will continue to brown after being removed from the heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Though this Dover sole recipe is best served fresh, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat it on low heat in the microwave for short 30-45 second intervals, or until just heated through.
Though the ingredients used for piccata and meunière are very similar, they are different dishes. The foundation of piccata sauce is usually white wine or chicken broth and almost always features capers, whereas meunière sauce only occasionally features capers and does not contain broth or wine.
Dover sole meuniere is delicious served with a simple salad, roasted potatoes, and glasses of dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc or chardonnay. Pass a basket of sliced French bread to sop up the lemon butter sauce and treat your guests to a dessert of French apple cake for the ultimate Parisian-inspired feast!
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If you’ve tried this Sole Meunière recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Sole Meunière
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
- 2 sole fillets (about 4 ounces/112g each)
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided (57g)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Place the flour in a shallow dish. Season the fish fillets generously with salt and pepper. Dredge the seasoned fish fillets in the flour, shaking off any excess.
- Heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and 1 tablespoon of butter until bubbling. Add the fillets and cook just until the fish is done, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. (They should feel mostly firm and easily flake.) Transfer the fillets to serving plates or serving platter. Sprinkle with parsley.
- Wipe the skillet clean and return to medium heat. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, swirling until bubbling and just starting to turn golden in color, about 1 minute. Carefully stir in the lemon juice and pour the sauce over the fish fillets. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and an additional sprinkle of salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
- Dry the fish. Pat the fish dry with paper towels before dredging it in the flour. This will make the fish extra crispy when fried.
- Don’t dredge too soon. Dredge the fish right before frying. Fish does not do well being dredged ahead of time, as the flour will get soggy and will not fry up well.
- Use a fork to test doneness. The fish is done when it is mostly firm and flakes easily with a fork, or after it has cooked for 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Watch the heat or the butter can burn! Be careful not to burn the butter. The line between browned butter and burned butter is very thin; remove the pan from the heat as soon as the butter is starting to turn golden, as the sauce will continue to brown after being removed from the heat.
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