Sole meunière is heavenly – slightly crispy, dripping with brown butter and infused with lemon and parsley. For all its flavor of citrus, butter and fresh parsley, sole meunière is so simple to prepare at home, and like all of the most nourishing dishes, it s its very simplicity that is so appealing. And everything, everything, is better dripping with butter.
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Sole meunière is a simple dish. Indeed, it simply means fish prepared in the style of the miller’s wife – that is, dredged in flour. While all-purpose flour is typically used to prepare sole meunière, I prefer mine dredged in nut flour – hazelnut flour or even a combination of almond and hazelnut flour produces remarkable results and the combination of nut flour with browned butter is lovely.
This dish nourishes the body just as it provides satisfaction to the palate. Sole is rich in b vitamins – particularly, niacin and the vitamins B6 and B12. It is also a good source of phosphorus and, like most seafoods, selenium. The addition of grass-fed butter provides even more nourishment including conjugated linoleic acid – a fatty acid found in the meat and butterfat of ruminant animals. Recent research has found that this wholesome fat holds strong anti-oxidant activity and may offer anti-carcinogenic properties; moreover, it may be linked to a reduction in adipose tissue – that is, belly fat. While all milk and beef offer CLA in their fat, it is only present in abundance in the meat and milk of grass-fed ruminants like cows, goats and sheep.
Lastly this dish is seasoned with fresh lemon and parsley which offer a wonderful brightness and punch of vibrant, clean flavor to the rich, nut-like flavor of browned butter.
Sole meunière is a lovely simple dish, rich with the flavor of browned butter, fresh parsley and lemon. It’s easily prepared in under fifteen minutes, and excellent served with a salad of frisée on the side.
