Sole Sautéed in Butter

Name: Sole Sautéed in Butter
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 1 lb. unsalted butter; 4 (8-oz.) filets of dover sole, lemon sole, gray sole, or other small flounder; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Flour; 10 tbsp. unsalted butter; Juice of 1 lemon

Serves
serves 4

By SAVEUR Editors

Published on February 27, 2002

We've always loved sole meuniere (_meuniere _means in the style of the miller's wife—i.e., it involves flour), and it's one of our favorite dishes at Maison Prunier in Paris, among other places. This is the way we prepare it in our own kitchen.

Ingredients

For the Clarified Butter

1 lb. unsalted butter

For the Sole

4 (8-oz.) filets of dover sole, lemon sole, gray sole, or other small flounder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Flour
10 tbsp. unsalted butter
Juice of 1 lemon

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Instructions

Step 1

For the clarified butter: Put butter in a small heavy saucepan over low heat. Do not stir or allow butter to boil. When butter has melted, skim off foam completely and carefully pour the clear yellow fat into a clean container, discarding milky sediment on the bottom of the pan. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Step 2

For the sole: Pat filets dry with paper towels, season to taste with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off any excess. Melt 1⁄2 cup of the clarified butter in each of two large skillets set over medium-high heat. When butter is just smoking, about 2 minutes, place 2 filets in each skillet and cook, basting continually with butter, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Add 2 tbsp. of the regular butter to each skillet, season to taste with salt and pepper, and baste filets for 1 more minute, then transfer with a slotted spatula to a serving platter.

Step 3

Melt the remaining 6 tbsp. of regular butter in a small skillet over high heat. Swirl pan over heat until butter foams and turns light golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in lemon juice and pour over fish filets. Serve fish garnished with lemon sections and fresh herbs, if you like.

For the clarified butter: Put butter in a small heavy saucepan over low heat. Do not stir or allow butter to boil. When butter has melted, skim off foam completely and carefully pour the clear yellow fat into a clean container, discarding milky sediment on the bottom of the pan. Store covered in the refrigerator.
For the sole: Pat filets dry with paper towels, season to taste with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off any excess. Melt 1⁄2 cup of the clarified butter in each of two large skillets set over medium-high heat. When butter is just smoking, about 2 minutes, place 2 filets in each skillet and cook, basting continually with butter, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Add 2 tbsp. of the regular butter to each skillet, season to taste with salt and pepper, and baste filets for 1 more minute, then transfer with a slotted spatula to a serving platter.
Melt the remaining 6 tbsp. of regular butter in a small skillet over high heat. Swirl pan over heat until butter foams and turns light golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in lemon juice and pour over fish filets. Serve fish garnished with lemon sections and fresh herbs, if you like.