Sole à la meunière — the classic French fish recipe with browned butter and lemon

This is the famous French recipe "sole à la meunière" — sole fish quickly fried in butter, served with the classic brown-butter sauce (beurre noisette), fresh lemon juice and parsley. An elegant dish prepared in less than half an hour.

INGREDIENTS (4 servings)

• 4 sole fillets (about 150 g each), cleaned
• 60 g wheat flour
• 80 g butter
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon slices to serve

PREPARATION STEPS

1. Dry the fillets with kitchen paper, season with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Coat them lightly in flour, tapping off the excess.
3. Heat half the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat until it is completely melted and begins to foam.
4. Fry the fillets for 2–3 minutes on each side, until they turn golden. Remove them to a warm plate.
5. In the same pan, add the remaining butter and let it brown until it takes on a hazelnut colour and a nutty aroma (about 1–2 minutes) — take care not to burn it.
6. Remove the pan from the heat, add the lemon juice (it will sizzle) and the chopped parsley, and mix quickly.
7. Pour the sauce over the fillets, garnish with lemon slices and serve immediately — accompanied by boiled potatoes or a green salad.

Preparation time: about 10 minutes | Cooking time: about 10 minutes | Servings: 4