Easy Sole Meunière

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this sole recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

Sole fillets: I use skinless fillets. I usually buy them frozen and defrost them overnight in the fridge. You can buy them fresh if you can find them.
To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. The garlic powder is a departure from tradition, but I like the flavor it adds.
Flour: Just a dusting of all-purpose flour. You can use blanched superfine almond flour to keep this recipe low-carb and gluten-free.
Clarified butter: Also known as ghee. It's the best option for pan-frying the fish. It tastes buttery but doesn't burn as easily as butter because the milk solids have been removed.
For the brown butter sauce: Butter and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Parsley: Adds color to the finished dish and enhances its flavor.

Variations

If you can't find sole fish, use flounder instead. In fact, in the photos and video posted on this page, I used flounder. It's easier to find than sole. It's available at Whole Foods and grocery stores such as Kroger.
You can use olive oil instead of ghee for the first stage of cooking the fish. However, after trying both, I recommend using ghee for its wonderfully nutty flavor.
Dried parsley can be used instead of fresh parsley, with somewhat inferior but acceptable results.

Instructions

This recipe is surprisingly easy, considering it's a restaurant-level dish. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

You start by seasoning the sole fillets with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Dust both sides of each fillet with flour. Shake the excess off. You want the fish very thinly coated, so you don't want any excess flour.

Cook the sole in clarified butter until golden and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Start with medium-high heat. If your pan starts overheating, lower the heat to medium after flipping the fish.

Keep the cooked fish in a warm oven while preparing a simple brown butter and lemon sauce.

Cooking the brown butter sauce in a skillet.

Pour the sauce over the fish, garnish it with parsley, and serve.

Expert Tips

The most important thing is to avoid overcooking the fish, or it will turn out dry. Two minutes per side over medium-high heat is perfect. If I lower the heat to medium, I cook the fish for 3 minutes on the second side.
Almond flour is a delicious gluten-free and low-carb coating, but it doesn't adhere to the fish as well as all-purpose flour. I have made this recipe with both flours - all-purpose flour and almond flour (as shown on this page). The all-purpose flour worked better, but almond flour is an entirely acceptable and delicious substitution if you need this recipe to be low-carb and gluten-free.
Sole is a delicate fish that easily falls apart, especially if it has been frozen and thawed. Be sure to flip it carefully, and if it does fall apart, don't despair - it will still taste exquisite.
Use a nonstick skillet to minimize the risk of sticking. This is especially true when using almond flour, which tends to stick more than wheat flour.

Recipe FAQs

Why is this dish called "sole meunière?"

The word "meunière" means "miller." The dish received this name because the fish is coated in flour before being cooked.

Should I remove the skin?

I usually love fish skin. But in this recipe, we use boneless skinless sole filets. The fish is cooked so quickly that the skin won't crisp up and will be leathery.

Can you make this dish in the oven?

I suppose you could, but it won't be as good, and you'll risk drying the fish out. I'm typically a big fan of baking, but this is such a quick stovetop recipe that there's no advantage to using the oven.

Storing Leftovers

The leftovers keep okay in the fridge, in a sealed container, for up to three days, but they are not as good as when freshly made. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power or in a 350°F oven (uncovered). I don't recommend freezing the leftovers.