Sole meunière
(Sole à la meunière, Sogliole alla mugnaia)
This classic French seafood dish is prepared with sole fillets that are lightly breaded in plain flour and pan-fried in butter. When the fish is ready, lemon juice is added to the pan and cooked shortly until all of the flavors are combined. The fish is typically seasoned with salt, pepper, and chopped parsley.
Even though fillets are usually employed in the dish, some like to use the whole fish, which is then traditionally filleted tableside in front of the guests. In traditional cuisine, the name meunière refers to the technique of cooking ingredients in brown butter and lemon juice or lightly coating the ingredients in flour before frying.
In French, meunière refers to the miller’s wife, referring to the fact that flour is used to dust the fish. This traditional French dish rose to worldwide fame when the renowned cookbook author Julia Child first mentioned it in her bestselling book.
Sole meunière is usually served with mashed or boiled potatoes on the side.
