French · Main
Sole Meuniere
Whole Dover sole, floured and basted in foaming beurre noisette — the dish that proves restraint is the highest technique
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- Dover sole, skinned both sides, head on — 2 (400–500 g each)
- Plain flour — 40 g
- Whole milk — 50 ml
- Clarified butter — 40 g
- Unsalted butter, diced — 100 g
- Lemon — 1 (half juiced, ~20 ml; half in wedges)
- Capers, rinsed — 20 g
- Flat-leaf parsley, chopped — 10 g
- Fine salt — 5 g
- White pepper — 1 g
Method
- Trim fins with scissors; pat the soles very dry, season both sides.
- Dip in milk, then flour; shake off every excess grain — a veil, not a coat.
- Heat clarified butter in a pan large enough for the fish over medium-high heat.
- Lay in the sole presentation-side down; cook 4–5 min without moving until deep golden.
- Turn carefully with a fish slice; add the diced butter and cook 3–4 min, basting constantly as it goes noisette (hazelnut-brown, smelling toasty).
- Check doneness at the thickest point behind the head — flesh should lift from the bone; core 52–54 °C.
- Transfer to hot plates. Off heat, add lemon juice, capers and parsley to the butter; spoon over immediately.