About Sole Meunière

“Meunière” literally translates to “miller’s wife” or a “female miller”, referring to the fish being dredged in flour before being cooked. This dish has been highly popular for centuries in France, as it was said to be one of Louis XIV’s favorite dishes in the 17th century.  

Across the Atlantic, the Sole Meunière was made famous much later on by American cook Julia Child, known for her cookbook “Mastering The Art Of French Cooking”. In her memoir “My Life In France“, Julia Child recounts that Sole Meunière was the first meal she had when she arrived with her husband in 1948, at Restaurant La Couronne, in Rouen. She described it as “(…) absolute perfection. It was the most exciting meal of my life.” It is said that this is the dish that turned her from simply a person that greatly enjoyed eating, to becoming a very passionate cook.  

As with most famous dishes, there isn’t just one recipe for Sole Meunière. The recipe shared here is perhaps the most classic and simple version of it, and also my favorite. While some recipes call for simple melted butter and others for clarified butter, I like to rely on brown-butter (beurre noisette) for adding nutty flavors to the sauce. Some recipes – in restaurants mostly – serve the whole sole fish, while I like to cook filets for simplicity and affordability. Some like to bath the fish in milk beforehand, while I think a light flour coating is just enough to create a subtle crispness without altering the moist delicate fish flesh. Lastly, while some add capers at the end for a extra salty kick, I like good old classic curly parsley to allow the sauce and fish taste shine through. 

Choosing the sole 

A simple recipe like Sole Meunière relies on the quality of your ingredients – not on any special culinary skills. The quality of the sole in particular, being the star ingredient, will go a long way. 

A Sole Meunière is traditionally made with a whole, bone-in Dover Sole, known as “Sole Franche” in French. But you can very often find it prepared in boneless filets nowadays, as they’re quicker to cook and less expensive. If you decide to go for a whole fish, you will have to make sure you have a pan large enough to fit the whole fish. Or you can ask the fishmonger to cut off the head, so the fish fits into a smaller pan. Again, if you go for a whole fish, you will also need to adjust the cooking time –  by adding at least 1 minute extra per side.

Most recipes also call for the fish’s skin to be removed, as it tends to get soft in the butter sauce and isn’t pleasant to eat. 

Ideally, choose freshly caught dover sole from the fishmonger, market, or grocery stand. If using frozen fish or fish filets (we all do it sometimes!), make sure they are very well thawed and pat them dry before cooking, to remove any excess moisture. 

Making brown butter (beurre-noisette)

Known in French as “beurre-noisette”, brown butter is the base of a Sole Meunière’s signature sauce. So, let’s take a moment to discuss it… 

Brown butter is melted butter, with an improved flavor brought on by gently cooking it until it reaches a golden-brown color. Used regularly in both French cooking (sauces, etc.) and baking (financiers, madeleines, etc.), brown butter gives delectable nutty flavors to any recipe. It’s important you take the time to make brown butter properly for this recipe. Do not skip this step, you won’t regret it. 

For the butter, try and find a European-style one with a higher fat content than US/Canadian ones. 

How to make brown-butter (beurre-noisette)

1. In a small saucepan, melt your butter over medium-low heat, whisking frequently. Once all melted, the butter will start to simmer and foam. This takes 3-4 minutes. 
2. Eventually the butter will stop foaming. Keep a close eye on it and watch for golden specks to form at the bottom of the pan. Smell the butter for nutty aromas. This should take about 4-5 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and pour the butter into a cold bowl to stop the cooking process. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

Be careful, as it’s easy to go from brown-butter to burnt-butter. If you think you’ve over-cooked or burned the butter, do not overthink it. Dump it and start again. Burnt butter is terrible for your health and tastes just as bad.

In summary, Sole Meunière is an excellent, classic way to prepare sole – an underrated fish if you ask me. The flavors are classic yet exciting, and the dish is light yet very satisfying. I also love a forgiving recipe. Even if you were to over-cook your fish just slightly, bathing it in the sauce afterwards means it won’t be dry. 

This dish is best served immediately. It is indeed often made table side, when ordered in an upscale restaurant. Serve it with rice, small potatoes (fingerling or new potatoes) and/or a side of green vegetables, such as Green Beans Almondine or simple steamed asparagus. 

Cooking notes: 

• Sole Meunière is meant to be served à la minute, meaning made very quickly right before serving. I do not recommend re-heating it later on, nor freezing it.

I hope you’ll love this Classic French Sole Meunière recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

You may also like:

• Bordeaux-style Fish Gratin (Poisson à la Bordelaise) 
• Cod Provençal with Tomatoes, Capers and Olives
• Coq Au Vin Blanc 
• Simple Chicken Marengo with Mushrooms
• Braised Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Onion

Classic French Sole Meunière

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

4 sole fillets (about 100g each)
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp (25g) all-purpose flour
2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter

For the sauce:
6 tbsp (84g) unsalted butter
6 tbsp (90ml) freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley (curly)

Instructions

Step 1 – Rinse the fish gently under cold water and thoroughly pat dry with paper towel. Check the fish for small bones and pick them out with tweezers, if found. 

In a large bowl or shallow plate, whisk together the flour with salt and pepper. Gently coat the fish on both sides with the flour and shake off any excess. Set aside. 

Step 2 – Heat up butter in a large frying oil over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the fish, and cook for 2 minutes. Flip gently and cook for another 2 minutes. Place the fish on warm plates or a serving dish. 

Step 3 - In a small saucepan, melt the butter and cook until it turns a light brown and smells nutty (see brown-butter step-by-step above). Add the lemon juice and 1/2 of the chopped parsley. Swirl the sauce around for a few seconds to warm up and spoon over fish. Sprinkle with the rest of parsley. Serve immediately.

The post Classic French Sole Meunière appeared first on Pardon Your French.

Wondering about the origin of French Financiers? Read about it in this Blueberry Almond Financiers recipe. 

With a short ingredient list and easy technique, these roasted hazelnut financiers are quick and easy to prepare. However, they do rely on two key ingredients:

• Roasted hazelnut flour
• Brown butter

These two components are essential in building the delicious nutty, toasted flavor profile of these financiers – and there can be no shortcuts. So, make sure to read through the paragraphs below and follow each step on how to make roasted hazelnut flour and brown butter, before you start making the Roasted Hazelnut Financiers recipe at the end of the article. 

Roasted Hazelnut Flour

These financiers are made with finely ground roasted hazelnuts. Ground hazelnuts are sometimes referred to as hazelnut meal or hazelnut flour. Bags of ground hazelnuts can easily be found in most grocery stores (such as Bob’s Red Mill Hazelnut Flour), however they are often made from raw hazelnuts – not roasted. So if you can’t get your hands on ready-made roasted hazelnut flour, you will need to make it yourself, by roasting hazelnuts and grounding them. 

Using roasted hazelnuts, and not raw, will truly make a difference for these financiers. First, roasting hazelnuts enhances their unique flavor which will make for full-flavored financiers. Secondly, the roasting process removes some of the hazelnut’s moisture. As a result, roasted hazelnuts are crunchier and make for a drier flour. If you use raw hazelnut flour, the texture of the financiers will be “chewier” and they will be noticeably less flavorful. 

That being said, here is how to make roasted hazelnut flour, in a few simple steps.  

How to make roasted hazelnut flour 

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle. Line up a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the hazelnuts (100g) over it in an even layer. Bake the hazelnuts for 15 minutes, until skins are blistered. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the hazelnuts cool completely on the baking sheet.
2. Once cool, transfer the hazelnuts, one handful at a time, into a larger sized kitchen cloth. Close the kitchen cloth (like a package) and rub the hazelnuts between your hands for about 1 minute. The friction will help most of the hazelnut skins to fall off. Transfer the “cleaned” hazelnuts to a bowl. Once roasted, hazelnuts can be kept for up to 12 months in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
3. Transfer the roasted hazelnuts to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend on high speed until finely ground. Important: stop when the hazelnuts are just fine enough. If you over-blend, the hazelnut meal will start to stick and eventually turn into hazelnut butter. We need flour, not butter. 

Brown butter (beurre-noisette)

Known in French as “beurre-noisette”, brown butter is the second key ingredient to this recipe. Brown butter is melted butter, with an improved flavor brought on by gently cooking it until it reaches a golden brown color. Used in most financier recipes, “beurre-noisette” gives the delectable nutty flavors that make financiers so unique and irresistible. It’s important you take the time to make brown butter properly for this recipe – do not skip this step… you won’t regret it!

How to make brown-butter (beurre-noisette)

1. In a small sauce-pan, melt your butter over medium-low heat, whisking frequently. Once all melted, the butter will start to simmer and foam. This should take 3-4 minutes. 
2. Eventually the butter will stop foaming. Keep a close eye on it and watch for golden specks to form at the bottom of the pan. Smell the butter for nutty aromas. This should take about 4-5 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and pour the butter into a cold bowl to stop the cooking process. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

*** Be careful, as it’s easy to go from brown-butter to burnt-butter. If you think you’ve over-cooked or burned the butter, do not overthink it. Dump it and start again. Burnt butter is terrible for your health and tastes just as bad.

More cooking notes: 

• Separate your eggs (whites/yolks) about 30 minutes before you start, to allow the whites to warm up to room temperature. With the 4 leftover egg yolks, you could make Classic French Chocolate Pots de Crème. 
• Don’t skip on sifting together the icing sugar, hazelnut flour and all-purpose flour. It will truly make a difference in creating lighter and airier financiers. This will also ensure these ingredients are lump-free. 
• To make it more approachable for my North American readers, the recipe is made for classic muffin tins/cupcake pans, which are widely available. If you can get your hands on an authentic financier mold pan, the financiers will need to bake a few minutes less.

I hope you’ll love this Roasted Hazelnut Financiers recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. 

You may also like:

• Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt 
• French Walnut & Coffee Cake
• Chocolate Chip Cookies with Fleur de Sel
• Brownies with Pecans & Fleur de Sel
• Homemade Hazelnut Chocolate Spread 
• Hazelnut Chocolate Sea Salt Granola

Roasted Hazelnut Financiers

Print Recipe

Serves: 8-9 Financiers Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes 20 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 5 voted )

Ingredients

1/3 cup + 2 tbsp (105g) unsalted butter, made into brown-butter.
3/4 cup (90g) roasted hazelnut flour
1/2 cup (62.5g) all-purpose flour
1 cup + 2 tbsp (145g) icing sugar
¼ tsp salt
4 egg whites (½ cup [125 g]), at room temperature
½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan with butter and dust with flour (you will likely only use 8-9 cups).

Step 1 - Make the brown-butter (“beurre-noisette”) (see instructions above) and set aside to let it cool slightly.

Step 2 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ground roasted hazelnuts, icing sugar, flour and salt.

Step 3 – Whisk in the 4 egg whites and the vanilla extract. The batter will be fairly thick.

Step 4 – Switch to a spatula, and fold in the brown butter. Stop folding when just incorporated.

Step 5 – Transfer the batter into the muffin pan – fill the cups up 2/3 of the way. You should have enough batter for 8 to 9 "cups". Bake for 20-22 minutes, until financiers have a dome and a toothpick inserted in the middle of one comes out clean.

Transfer onto a cooling rack, cool for 5 minutes and remove financiers from the pan.

How to store & keep Financiers?

• Financiers can be kept in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 2-3 days.
• For freezing financiers, let them cool completely to room temperature and transfer them into a freezer-friendly airtight container. Let them thaw at room temperature in the airtight container – not outside of the container, or they will dry up.

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