Sole Meunière

Things have been pretty busy these past few weeks, hence the lack of new posts.  I've gone away on vacation and now that I'm back and settled into the routine of things, I'll be sharing plenty of new recipes.

This recipe is a real accomplishment for me because it represents how far I've come with my cooking skills.  When I first began cooking I was apprehensive about cooking meats because I was afraid of under or over-cooking the meats, which would lead my food tasting dry and even worse - inedible!  But with time I've become more comfortable with ground meats, poultry, and even big cuts of red meat; however in terms of seafood I've always cooked salmon or pink-fleshed fish.  I've never been too good with white fish because it always seems so delicate.  Granted, there are firm white fish on the market but those tend to be on the expensive side.  Thus far I've only tried tilapia, sole and haddock with average results.  I've previously tried this recipe when I was less confident in my cooking skills and it turned out to be a soppy mess.  I decided to try it again a year later and to my surprise it was a fantastic dish!  It was a perfect light meal alongside my fresh couscous salad.

I'd like to say that I learned for my mistakes.  I made sure to pat the fish dry before dredging it in the flour mixture and I also made sure that my pan was nice and hot.  I think that was my downfall initially because I was afraid of overcooking my fish but a hot pan is crucial in developing that golden crust.  I also used two spatulas in order to flip the fish because it's rather delicate and prone to tearing.  Serving the fish warm also enhances the dining experience; so if making several fillets, the first batch can be kept warm in the oven.

I'm hoping this will open my doors to new and more advanced seafood recipes in the not so distant future.  I'd like to try my hand at steaming my own fresh lobsters and poaching white fish in olive oil.  Hopeful these will be appearing on the site in the upcoming months.

Sole Meunière

Ingredients
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)

Preheat the oven to 200 F.  Have a heat-proof dinner plate 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) sauté pan over medium-high heat until it starts to brown.  Dredge 2 sole fillets in the seasoned flour on both sides and place them into in the hot butter.  Lower the heat to medium 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 repat the process with the remaining 2 fillets.  When they're done, add the cooked fillets to the plates in the oven.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics