Fish Meuniere for Two

By

  • 2

Ingredients

  • Brown butter sauce:
  • 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 sole fillets or flounder fillets, each 5 to 6 ounces and 3/8 inch thick, patted dry with paper towels
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 2 pieces
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
  • 1/2 lemon , cut in wedges for serving
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preparation

Step 1

1. FOR THE FISH: Place flour in large baking dish. Season both sides of each fillet generously with salt and pepper; let stand until fillets are glistening with moisture, about 5 minutes. Coat both sides of fillets with flour, shake off excess, and place in single layer on baking sheet.

2. Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering, then butter and swirl to coat pan bottom; when foaming subsides, carefully place fillets in skillet, bone-side down. Immediately reduce heat to medium-high and cook, without moving fish, until edges of fillets are opaque and bottom is golden brown, about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Using 2 spatulas, gently flip fillets (see illustration below) and cook on second side until thickest part of fillet easily separates into flakes when toothpick is inserted, about 2 minutes longer.

3. FOR THE BROWNED BUTTER: Heat butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until butter melts, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter is golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes; remove skillet from heat. Remove plates from oven and sprinkle fillets with parsley. Add lemon juice to browned butter and season to taste with salt; spoon sauce over fish and serve immediately with lemon wedges.