The unforgettable and classic recipe for Julia Child Sole Meuniere, simply made with lightly breaded fillets of sole that is served with a lemony caper butter sauce.
Jump to:
About This Recipe
Sole meunière is a classic French dish featuring delicate sole fillets lightly coated in flour and quickly sautéed in clarified butter until golden and flaky. Finished with a simple yet vibrant sauce of butter, lemon juice, fresh parsley, and capers, this dish is a testament to elegance in simplicity.
This recipe holds a special connection to Julia Child, as it was one of the first meals she enjoyed upon arriving in France. That life changing dining experience not only inspired her remarkable culinary career but also ignited a passion for French cuisine among countless home cooks, including myself. Years ago, I had the honor of recreating this recipe, with permission from Julia’s publisher, Alfred Knopf, to celebrate her 100th birthday.
If you love this recipe, you might also enjoy my Mussels Marinière or Panko Crusted Halibut. Both are equally simple yet impressive seafood dishes that highlight the beauty of fresh, quality ingredients.
📋 Ingredients
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🍋 Substitutions and Variations
Clarified Butter vs. Butter
Clarified butter has a higher smoke point because the milk solids are removed, allowing the fish to pan-fry to a golden crust without burning. You can substitute ghee for a similar high smoke point and a nutty aroma.
To clarify butter: Melt it in a pot, skim off the foam, and strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve to remove solids.
⏲️ Instructions
Dredge the Fish. Dry the fillets with paper towels and lightly dredge in flour.
Cook the Sole. Pan fry the sole fillets in clarified butter until lightly golden on both sides.
Make the Sauce. Melt butter and add capers and lemon juice. Use a spatula to scrape any bits from the bottom and reduce heat. Stir in chopped parsley.
Assemble. Spoon the lemon caper sauce over fish and serve immediately
📍 Recipe Tips
- Dry the Fish: Use paper towels to dry the fish fillets very well before cooking, this will help form a nice golden crust.
- Quick Cooking: Sole fillets are thin and only need 2 minutes of cooking per side.
- Fresh Ingredients: Because there are minimal ingredients, use the freshest you can find, such as fresh lemon juice.
- Cook in Batches: Don't overcrowd the pan, depending on how wide your skillet and filets are, start with 2 fillets so they have room to brown evenly.
What to Serve with Sole Meuniere
Serve sole meuniere alongside creme fraiche mashed potatoes or simple roasted potatoes with herbs. This lemony rice pilaf with orzo would be a great side as well with sautéed asparagus or green beans. Pair the meuniere with a crisp whit4e wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc.
More Julia Child Recipes
Julia Child’s Sole Meuniere
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 fillets of sole boneless and skinless
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons clarified butter or ghee
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 lemon juiced
- 3 tablespoons capers
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley hard stems removed, leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Use paper towels to pat the sole fillets dry very well and season both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge fillets in flour, shaking off any excess
- Bring a wide skillet to medium heat and add clarified butter.
- Place fillets in, not overcrowding the pan, about 2 fillets at a time and cook until lightly golden on the first side, for about 1-2 minutes. Flip over and cook on the the side for 1-2 minutes or until fish is lightly golden brown.
- Remove the fish to a platter. In the same skillet, melt the butter and add capers and lemon juice. Use a spatula to scrape any bits from the bottom and reduce heat. Stir in chopped parsley.
- Spoon lemon caper sauce over fish and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Dry the Fish: Use paper towels to dry the fish fillets very well before cooking, this will help form a nice golden crust.
- Quick Cooking: Sole fillets are thin and only need 2 minutes of cooking per side.
- Fresh Ingredients: Because there are minimal ingredients, use the freshest you can find, such as fresh lemon juice.
- Cook in Batches: Don't overcrowd the pan, depending on how wide your skillet and filets are, start with 2 fillets so they have room to brown evenly.
- To clarify butter: Melt it in a pot, skim off the foam, and strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve to remove solids.
Ed says
If you don't want to go thru the trouble of clarifying the butter you can use Indian Gee which basically is clarified butter. It is now widely available in stores of on AMAZON.
Kathleen says
Ah, my apologies, I just looked it up... Sara Moulton's recipe was an adaptation, with a Grenobloise sauce... no zest, or pith, the sections of lemon are just like you'd section a tangerine to eat. It was a revelation for me. This was my first experience with the dish, so I didn't realize it was an adaptation, but I can tell you I love the sauce so much I make it about once a week.
Also notable, Sarah just pan fried the fish in oil, so it was a bit crispy. I love the texture, with a bit of crunch. Cuts down on the butter. used canola, so I could cook the fish quickly and have it tender on the inside, crunchy out. The butter I save for the sauce, and since it's not clarified, it's a lot less hassle. In thinking about it, I guess she was simply updating the recipe. She used trout, I used Tilapia
Here's Sara's recipe. Also on that episode, a souffle omelet I want to try. Have you done one of those? Thanks for making me hungry!!!
http://saramoulton.com/2013/02/sauteed-fish-fillets-meuniere-with-sauce-grenobloise/
Kara says
I LOVE this recipe. I have made it often. So simple, so delicious! Tonight I
will try frying the fish in oil, as Sara Moulton suggests, for crispiness, then use the butter in the sauce. Superb!
Thank you ALL for conversation around the recipe, and for suggestions.
Samantha Ferraro says
Wonderful Kara, You had us at fried fish. Let us know how it turns out. Samantha.
Kathleen says
This isn't the way I learned it... I watched Julia;s assistant make this recently on PBS, a show called weeknight dinners or something. The lemon is supposed to be peeled, like an orange, and the sections added to the butter/caper/parsley in the pan. As they disintefrate, the lemon de-glazes the delicious fish bits in the pan. The parsley is not a garnish, it's an important flavor of the sauce.
If you make it right, it is one of the best things you'll ever put in your mouth.
Samantha says
Hi Kathleen. I know I followed the recipe exactly as in her book, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". I don't remember peeling lemon, and I would because I LOVE lemon peel and zest. Perhaps her assistant made a different version? However, I would love to try that version as well.
Julia says
I have been trained under a French 2 star and how we did it was to take out the fried fish, then melt the butter in the same pan, throw a ton of parsley in, then remove from heat and add a squeeze of lemon. This was because the lemon immediately stops the cooking and keeps the butter from browning! But I'm not going to challenge Julia Child! It looks delicious!
Samantha says
Hahah what an interesting technique! I have learned to never stray away from her instructions 🙂
Dale Pfeiffer says
There is no Sole Meuniere recipe in either volume of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, at least not in the books I have.
e johnson says
Page 98 of the 1974 edition, entitled Beurre Noisette instead of Meuniere.