Meuniére basically means ”miller’s wife”. The name no doubt derives from the way a miller’s wife would serve a fish, coated in flour.
It is recommend to use a whole fish for this dish. When whole, the fish will hold together during the cooking, and leaving the flesh on the bones retains more flavour.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication, says the proverb. Sole meunière is a simple dish that needs the best ingredients. So I recommend using lemon sole from the Faroe Islands and serving it with new potatoes.
- Author : Gutti Winther
- Category : Dinner
- Cuisine : French/Nordic
- Yield : 2 servings
- A large whole lemon sole or two medium sized. Skinned, with the grey skin, head, tail and dorsal fins removed. (There are instructions on how to prepare a lemon sole in the video above.)
- Wheat flour for dredging (approximately 1.5 dl.)
- 400 g of new potatoes
- Salt
- Oil for frying
- 100 g of butter
- A small bunch of fresh parsley
- A small bunch of fresh dill
- The zest of one lemon (organic)
- 2 tablespoons of capers
- Boil the potatoes in salted water. Put some stems of parsley and dill in the boiling water. The parsley and dill will add lovely flavours to the potatoes.
- When the potatoes are tender, drain the water and put the hot potatoes into a bowl. Add some butter (25 g) and let the butter melt in the hot potatoes. Add some chopped dill and a pinch of salt and coat the potatoes in the melted butter.
- Make a short cut with a knife along the backbone on the thickest part of the lemon sole. This will help the flesh cook evenly. (There are instructions on how to prepare a lemon sole in the video above.)
- Dredge the lemon sole in flour on both sides and dust off any excess flour. Heat the pan with some oil and fry the sole on a medium heat.
- Start with the flesh side. The lemon sole needs about 3 minutes on each side. When the first side has a golden crust, turn the fish. Add a nice knob of butter (25 g) and baste the fish with melted butter while frying.
- When the fish is done transfer it onto a plate. Sprinkle with salt and let it rest while you make the browned butter sauce.
- Add the rest of the butter to the hot pan and let it melt and brown. Swirl the butter until it is light brown in colour and has a nutty smell. But be careful not to let it burn.
- Take the pan off the heat. Add the juice of half a lemon, this will also stop the butter cooking. Add the capers and some chopped parsley and a pinch of salt.
- Pour the browned butter sauce over the lemon sole and serve with the potatoes on the side.
