DOVER SOLE A LA MEUNIERE
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An exquisite French recipe of Dover sole in a simple and delicious butter sauce.
Perfectly browned in a sputtering butter sauce with a sprinkling of chopped parsley on top. I lifted a forkful of fish to my mouth, took a bite, and chewed slowly. The flesh of the sole was delicate, with a light but distinct taste of the ocean that blended marvelously with the browned butter. It was a morsel of perfection.
That is how the famous American chef and TV personality Julia Child described Dover Sole a la Meunière in her book My Life in France. She was blown away, to say the least when she took her first bite of this iconic dish at the Restaurant La Couronne, in Rouen.
This was her first lunch in France and she was so fascinated by this dish that she called it the most exciting meal of her life and later went on to write a cookbook that would bring the amazing cuisine of France into every American kitchen. The rest as they say is history!
French cuisine is often regarded as difficult and meant for top chefs. However, there is no reason to feel intimidated. What really makes French cuisine stand out is the abundant usage of seasonal ingredients and some smart cooking techniques. The Sole à la Meunière is one of the simplest and easiest French recipes that anyone can make.
ORIGIN OF SOLE A LA MEUNIERE
The Sole a la meuniere is a royal dish that was supposedly the favorite dish of King Louis XIV. Its presence in the dish earned Dover Sole the title of the King of fish in French cuisine.
The word Meuniere means miller which refers to the flour that the fish is dredged in before frying.
ABOUT THE RECIPE
This is the iconic dish that made Julia Child fall in love with French cuisine almost instantly. If that sounds too heavy, rest assured the recipe is not.
It is more simple than you can imagine! It is indeed a simple dish with a complex taste.
The fish literally melts in your mouth and the sauce is simply delicious, reason enough to excite Julia Child's taste buds!
The best thing about Dover is that it cooks very fast. It is soft and sweet with no characteristic fishy smell.
INGREDIENTS
As I already mentioned, this is a very simple dish, classic bistro cooking at its best!
Here is what you need:
Fish - Dover Sole fillet washed and patted dry. I have to warn you that it might not be easily available and could be a little expensive. But it is totally worth it. Dover is a firm white fish, if not available substitute with flounder.
All-purpose flour - To coat the fish fillet lightly.
Sauce - For the sauce you will need white wine, lemon juice, freshly crushed black pepper, olive oil, salt, and butter.
Cooking medium - Traditionally Sole Meuniere requires “Noisette” butter (similar to clarified butter) but I have used a combination of classic salted butter and extra virgin olive oil.
Parsley - Fresh, finely chopped parsley for garnishing.
HOW TO MAKE IT?
Follow the simple step by step procedure to make this dish:
Prepare the fish - Season the fish generously with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge in flour to soak up every last bit of moisture, shake off excess flour. The idea is not to heavily coat the fish but just wrap it in a thin film of flour.
Sear and bake - Put some olive oil in a pan and sear the fish fillet on both sides. Transfer to a greased baking pan and bake in a preheated oven.
Prepare sauce - Melt butter in a pan. Add the wine, lemon juice, and parsley.
Garnish and Serve - Take out the baked fillet in a serving dish. Pour the sauce on it and garnish with finely chopped parsley and lemon wedges.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION
Is this dish gluten-free?
I have used normal all-purpose flour to dredge the fish fillet. If you want a gluten-free version of this recipe, simply replace the flour with gluten-free flour.What fish can be used instead of dover sole?
Dover sole is a meaty and firm white fish. You can substitute it with flounder or cod.What can I use instead of the wine?
The original recipe does not use white wine, but my version does. So, if you don't want to use wine that is totally fine. The fish will taste great regardless.What is noisette butter?
Noisette butter is lightly browned butter. Unsalted butter is melted and cooked until it starts to turn light brown, to achieve noisette butter. t is very common in French cuisine.It is also called nut butter because the browning gives it a brown color and a nutty aroma.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
This recipe works well as lunch as well as dinner on a busy night. It is also a scrumptious meal for entertaining guests.
You can pair it with mashed potatoes and broccoli, or steamed vegetables or salad, anything that you like to have with baked fish.
Here are some salads that go well with this:
Garden Salad
Avocado and Corn Salad
Looking for other fish recipes?
DOVER SOLE A LA MEUNIERE
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Dover sole fillet
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp white wine
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp crushed peppercorn
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup butter
- salt to taste
- 1 cup chopped parsley
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Season the fish with some salt and pepper. Lightly dredge in the flour.
- In a pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, sear the fish until golden brown on each side (about 1 to 2 minutes per side).
- Transfer the fish to the oven and bake for 4 more minutes.
- In the same pan, add the butter. When the butter starts bubbling, add the wine, lemon juice, and parsley. Add seasonings if required.
- Pour the sauce on the baked fish.
- Garnish with finely chopped parsley, lemon wedges, and serve hot.
Notes:
- This recipe works equally well with flounder too.
- The original recipe uses noisette butter instead of butter.
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