I have wanted to try this recipe ever since seeing the movie “Julie and Julia” and going to LaCouronne, the restaurant in Rouen that Julia had her first meal in France. Why I did not have it in the restaurant is a story for later. The fish came out great. In the movie the fish bubbles and is cooked whole. It is later perfectly deboned and served to Julia. I used fillets of rawas.
Interestingly, there’s no sole meuniere in “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” the 1961 book that triggered the Julie/Julia Project blog on which the movie is partially based. It is a French classic and like much of good food is actually quite simple.This recipe is from “Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom,” a collection of recipes, techniques and tips published in 2000:
For 4 fillets up to ½ – inch thick and 5 to 6 ounces each.
Season the fish with salt and pepper and turn in flour, shaking off excess.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon oil in a pan until the butter foam begins to subside.
Lay in the fillets and saute for about a minute on each side, just until the fish begins to take on a light springiness to the touch.
Do not overcook; if the fish flakes, it is overdone.
Remove to a hot platter and sprinkle a tablespoon of minced fresh parsley over the fish. Rapidly wipe the pan clean with paper towels (so the flour residue will not speckle the butter to come – or use a fresh pan).
Heat 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in the pan, swishing it about and letting it brown lightly.
Remove the pan from heat, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon, and, if you wish, toss in a spoonful of capers before spooning the hot butter over the fish.
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