The French call the Mugnaia technique Meunière, and it's one of the finest ways to prepare sole or other smaller fish, including flounder and trout. You'll need clarified butter, which you can either purchase or make yourself (see below for instructions). To serve 4 you'll need:
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 1/2-pound (200 g) soles; have your fishmonger filet them for you.
- 1/2 cup (100 g) unsalted butter -- clarify 1/3 cup per the instructions below
- 3 tablespoons flour
- The juice of a half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
- Salt
- A lemon, cut into thin wedges, for garnishing
Preparation:
If you decide to clarify your own butter, set 1/3 cup unsalted butter to warm over a very gentle flame in a small pan, and when it separates into solids that settle and a clear part, carefully skim off the clear part, discarding the residue that's left behind.
Once you have your butter, wash the filets, pat them dry, and flour them. While you're doing this heat the clarified butter until hot but not smoking, and then cook the filets, turning them once; they should be a beautiful golden color. In terms of cooking time, if the filets are a half-inch thick (.75 cm), figure about 3 minutes per side (see note below).
While you are cooking the fish, heat the remaining butter until it browns to a pleasing hazelnut hue. Do not let it burn.
Remove the fish to a heated platter, sprinkle them with the lemon juice, and dust them with the parsley. Pour the browned butter over the fish, garnish with the lemon wedges, and serve at once.
James Beard suggests a "brisk" white wine, and Gavi (especially La Scolca) will be perfect.
Note: According to the Canadian Department of Fisheries, you can calculate the cooking time of a fish by measuring its thickness at its thickest point, and then cooking it 10 minutes per inch (2.5 cm)
Once you have your butter, wash the filets, pat them dry, and flour them. While you're doing this heat the clarified butter until hot but not smoking, and then cook the filets, turning them once; they should be a beautiful golden color. In terms of cooking time, if the filets are a half-inch thick (.75 cm), figure about 3 minutes per side (see note below).
While you are cooking the fish, heat the remaining butter until it browns to a pleasing hazelnut hue. Do not let it burn.
Remove the fish to a heated platter, sprinkle them with the lemon juice, and dust them with the parsley. Pour the browned butter over the fish, garnish with the lemon wedges, and serve at once.
James Beard suggests a "brisk" white wine, and Gavi (especially La Scolca) will be perfect.
Note: According to the Canadian Department of Fisheries, you can calculate the cooking time of a fish by measuring its thickness at its thickest point, and then cooking it 10 minutes per inch (2.5 cm)
