Sole Meunière, Delmonico Style
Sole meunière sounds grand and takes about 20 minutes. The name means "in the style of the miller's wife," a nod to the light dusting of flour that gives the fish its golden crust.
Servings 2 servings
Ingredients
- 2 sole fillets lemon sole, petrale sole, or flounder, about 6 oz (170g) each
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 pinch salt and white pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp oil
For the browned butter
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/2 medium lemon juiced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- Lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
Cook the fish
- Pat the fillets very dry. Season with salt and white pepper, then dust lightly with flour and shake off the excess. Dry fish and a light coating are what give you a clean, golden crust.
- Heat the 2 tbsp butter with the oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat until the butter foams. The oil keeps the butter from burning.
- Lay the fillets in, presentation side down first. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes a side, until golden and just opaque through. Thin fillets need less time.
- Lift the fish onto warm plates and keep it somewhere warm.
Make the browned butter
- Wipe the pan if it looks dark, then add the 3 tbsp fresh butter. Let it melt and keep cooking until it foams, smells nutty, and turns golden brown. Watch it closely, as it goes from brown to burnt quickly.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley. It will sizzle.
- Pour the browned butter over the fish. Add a lemon wedge and serve at once, while everything is hot.
Notes
he browned butter, or beurre noisette, is the whole point. Pull it off the heat the moment it smells like toasted nuts.
Serving note: steamed new potatoes and green beans are the classic partners. For a true Delmonico flourish, serve it on a warmed platter and dress the fish at the table.
True Dover sole is European and hard to find in North America. Lemon sole, petrale sole, or flounder all work beautifully. The technique matters more than the species.
This is the Gilded Age counterpart to the British Dover Sole with Hollandaise in the Edwardian post. Cross-link the two so readers can move between the two worlds.