The classics are classics for a reason folks! They’re tried and true recipes that are guaranteed to be winners. And Dover sole Meunière is no exception. A classic French bistro dish consisting of delicate dover sole fillets pan-fried until they have a lightly crispy texture. Accompanied by a pan sauce made from browned butter and lemon juice which is poured over top. And garnished with chopped fresh parsley for a simple yet elegant dish that everyone’s going to love!
What is Dover sole Meunière
Meunière “the miller’s way” is a classic French way of preparing food, especially fish like dover sole. And like many of the French classics, I believe this is a recipe that should come back into vogue.
Why?
Well because it’s quick, simple, and delicious.
You start off by dredging sole in some flour, hence the name “miller’s way”. These are then quickly pan fried in a bit of oil and butter until lightly golden brown. And then finally a pan sauce is prepared with browned butter and lemon juice which is poured over the fish. Trust me, it’s one of those deceptively simple, yet amazingly flavorful dishes!
Variations
- Almondine: Almondine is a classic variation of Meunière sauce where sliced almonds are cooked and browned in butter. It adds a great textural crunch to the dish, along with a unique flavor. And if you’d like to make this for yourself, check out the link for our recipe for trout almondine below.
- Creole: As the name suggests this variation of Meunière hails from Louisiana. And is notable for the addition of ingredients like creole seasoning, stock, and on occasion Worcestershire sauce. So if you want a really good recipe for that version then check this one out from Sweet Daddy D.
- Piccatta: This is an Italian variation that is just as good. It is made by first deglazing the pan with a bit of dry white wine. Then the butter is melted (but not browned) along with lemon juice. And it gets an additional boost of flavor with some capers. So if that interests you I suggest you check out our recipe for Chicken Piccata. You just need to swap out the chicken cutlets with sole fillets and everything else is just the same.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- Salted vs. unsalted butter: I recommend that you use unsalted butter when making your Meunière sauce. Because then you have more control over the amount of salt that is added to the dish. That being said if all you have is salted butter, you can still use it. It will still turn out great just keep in mind that you might want to sprinkle less salt on the fish before dredging them.
- Make it in the oven: If you don’t want to deal with the mess of pan frying fish over your stovetop then I suggest you cook the fish in your oven. That’s right it’s totally possible! To do it just dredge the filets of fish exactly the same as instructed in the recipe below. Then line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and grease it with roughly 3 tablespoons of oil, or a spray like PAM. Place this in an oven heated to 375℉/190℃. And let them cook on one side for 3 to 5 minutes, then flip them over and cook them for another 3 to 5 minutes. However, you will still need to make the Meunière sauce on your stovetop at the end. But luckily that doesn’t cause a whole lot of messy splattering like pan-frying fish.
- Cook them in batches: Obviously, if you are cooking more than 3 to 4 sole fillets you won’t be able to fit them all in one pan. So you will need to cook them in batches. And if you want to keep the first batch warm while you cook the second batch just keep them in a low oven. I recommend you set your oven to as low as it can get and no more than 215℉/101℃.
- Servings suggestions: I like to serve Dover sole Meunière with either some potatoes (especially Parsley Potatoes), or rice (especially Rice Pilaf). Along with something bright and green like Baked Asparagus, or a simple salad.
Other Fish Recipes You Might Enjoy
Dover Sole Meunière Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2 to 3
Ingredients
For the Dover sole:
4 to 6 Dover sole fillets
Salt & pepper
½ Cup of flour for dredging
3 Tablespoons of oil
1 Tablespoon of butter
For the Meunière sauce:
4 Tablespoons of butter, cut into small pieces
Juice from 1 lemon
Garnish:
1 to 2 Tablespoons of parsley leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Salt & dredge the fillets: Sprinkle each filet of dover sole with salt & pepper on both sides. Then spread out the flour in a shallow dish or plate. And dredge each fillet of sole in the flour, making sure that pat/shake off any excess flour. Place the dredged fillets on a plate and set them aside.
- Pan-fry the fillets: Add the 3 tablespoons of oil, and 1 tablespoon of butter to a large pan or skillet. Place this over medium-high heat and let the butter melt. Then add the dover sole fillets in an even layer. And let them cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes. Then use a spatula to flip each of them over and let them cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the cooked fish and set them aside on plates.
- Make the Meunière sauce: Wipe out the pan/skillet with a paper towel to remove the oil/butter that was used to cook the fish. Then add the 4 tablespoons of butter needed for the sauce. Return the pan/skillet to medium heat. Let the butter melt, then cook and stir it for 1 to 2 minutes or until it milk solids turn brown. Take this off the heat and squeeze in the juice from 1 lemon. Stir these two ingredients together until combined.
- Distribute the sole fillets onto individual plates. Pour the Meunière sauce over each portion. Sprinkle them all with some chopped fresh parsley. And enjoy!
Dover Sole Meunière Recipe
Servings: 2
Ingredients
For the Dover sole:
- 4 to 6 Dover sole fillets
- Salt & pepper
- ½ Cup of flour for dredging
- 3 Tablespoons of oil
- 1 Tablespoon of butter
For the Meunière sauce:
- 4 Tablespoons of butter cut into small pieces
- Juice from 1 lemon
Garnish:
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons of parsley leaves chopped
Instructions
- Salt & dredge the fillets: Sprinkle each filet of dover sole with salt & pepper on both sides. Then spread out the flour in a shallow dish or plate. And dredge each fillet of sole in the flour, making sure that pat/shake off any excess flour. Place the dredged fillets on a plate and set them aside.
- Pan-fry the fillets: Add the 3 tablespoons of oil, and 1 tablespoon of butter to a large pan or skillet. Place this over medium-high heat and let the butter melt. Then add the dover sole fillets in an even layer. And let them cook undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes. Then use a spatula to flip each of them over and let them cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the cooked fish and set them aside on plates.
- Make the Meunière sauce: Wipe out the pan/skillet with a paper towel to remove the oil/butter that was used to cook the fish. Then add the 4 tablespoons of butter needed for the sauce. Return the pan/skillet to medium heat. Let the butter melt, then cook and stir it for 1 to 2 minutes or until it milk solids turn brown. Take this off the heat and squeeze in the juice from 1 lemon. Stir these two ingredients together until combined.
- Distribute the sole fillets onto individual plates. Pour the Meunière sauce over each portion. Sprinkle them all with some chopped fresh parsley. And enjoy!
