Easy Sole Meuniere

After seeing the movie Julie & Julia, I was really inspired to cook! In her book, My Life in France (which I also promptly read after seeing the movie), Julia Child’s talks about the first meal she had after arriving in France. On the road to Paris from the boat docks, she and her husband, Paul, stopped at a restaurant where Julia ordered sole meuniere. It was this meal that forever changed her outlook on food and life and inspired her to pursue French cooking. She referred to this meal as “the greatest meal of my life.” I felt it was appropriate to make this meal after seeing the movie! While I have purchased her Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I decided to make Ina Garten’s recipe which is a pretty simple one. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say this was the “best meal of my life” (I was a little overzealous on the lemon)—it was definitely tasty!

Easy Sole Meuniere

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 fresh sole fillets, 3 to 4 ounces each

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Have 2 heat-proof dinner plates ready.

Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large shallow plate. Pat the sole fillets dry with paper towels and sprinkle one side with salt.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat until it starts to brown. Dredge 2 sole fillets in the seasoned flour on both sides and place them in the hot butter. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes. Turn carefully with a metal spatula and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. While the second side cooks, add 1/2 teaspoon of the lemon zest and 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice to the pan. Carefully put the fish fillets on the ovenproof plates and pour the sauce over them. Keep the cooked fillets warm in the oven while you repeat the process with the reamining 2 fillets. When they’re done, add the cooked fillets to the plates in the oven. Sprinkle with the parsley, salt, and pepper and serve immediately.

Source: Ina Garten

Stay tuned! Tomorrow I will share the side dish recipes that I served along with this sole meuniere to make it an incredibly delicious and authentic French meal!

Grilled Mahimahi with Mild Red Thai Curry Sauce

This was absolutely delicious! I served it on a bed of sauteed corn and shiitake mushrooms and it was perfect. You can also use this sauce for grilled chicken, shrimp or whatever else sounds good to you.

Grilled Mahimahi with Mild Red Thai Curry Sauce

Serves: 4

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 teaspoons Thai red curry sauce

2 teaspoons paprika

3/4 teaspoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons tomato puree

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

4 mahimahi filets (8 ounces each)

Olive oil, for grilling

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Prepare the grill. Measure all the ingredients and have them ready by the stove. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low, and add the curry powder, curry paste, paprika, and cumin. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.

Raise the heat back to medium, and add the soy sauce, tomato puree, brown sugar, and coconut milk, whisking well after each addition. When small bubbles form around the edge of the saucepan, simmer very gently for 10 minutes, whisking frequently. Do not allow it to boil.

Brush the mahimahi with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and grill until cooked through. Serve immediately with the sauce.

Source: At Blanchard’s Table