Special Occasion Sole Meuniere

Tonight I told PJ to be nice and hungry when I got home because we were having special occasion sole meuniere.  What was the special occasion, he wanted to know?  The fact that we're having sole tonight!

I just started eating fish a couple of years ago and I hadn't tried sole yet.  When I went to the fish counter today I realized why - $17.99 a pound!  But the fish monger convinced me that I would like it so much more than flounder or tilapia so I decided to go for it.  It really was so so good!  The fillets were thick and held together nicely while sauteing, and the finished product was flaky and flavorful, but not at all fishy.  The fish was cooked with a Meuniere sauce, which is classic French sauce of brown butter and lemon and pairs really nicely with sole.  I served it with boiled sliced potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts.



I've had "I've Got Sole But I'm Not A Soldier" in my head since I even started thinking about cooking sole and it won't go away as I write this post, but it was well worth it in order to discover my new favorite fish recipe!

Sole Muniere
Adapted from Fish by Shirley King

Ingredients:

• Small quantity of all-purpose flour, to coat the filets
• 1 large sole fillet, 1/2-3/4 pounds
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• salt and pepper
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 sprigs parsley

Directions:

Using a sharp knife, make shallow cuts on the skin side of the fillets to prevent them from curling up while cooking. If using one large fillet, cut it in half.  Place the flour on a plate and dredge the fillets in it.  Sprinkle both sides of the fillets lightly with salt and white pepper.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. When the butter stops foaming, shake off the excess flour from the fish and arrange it in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until golden underneath, about 1 minute. Using a wide spatula, carefully turn the fillets over and cook until golden underneath, about 2 minutes more. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the fish and let cook 1 minute more.

Garnish each piece with a sprig of parsley.
Serve immediately. Serves 2.

Variation : Fillets of flounder, lemon sole or gray sole can also be used in place of the sole in this recipe.

Side shown in picture:  Roasted Brussel Sprouts

1/2 lb. brussel sprouts
3 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wash the brussel sprouts and cut off the brown end on each.  Remove the outer-most leaves as they fall off while cutting.  Cut any very large brussel sprouts in half.

Coat a small baking sheet (like the one that comes with most toaster ovens) with olive oil and pour the brussel sprouts onto the sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then toss to coat. 

Bake for 30-40 minutes, shaking the pan a few times during cooking to help with even cooking.