French cuisine classic

Sole Meuniere takes attention to detail

Julia Child was able to remember the single most decisive moment in her life with photographic clarity. It was her first bite of her first meal in France, a fish dish called Sole Meuniere. That first forkful, she wrote, was “a morsel of perfection,” and it set her on the path to become the Julia we’d come to know and love.

Though it is indeed a classic of French cuisine, Sole Meuniere — a filet of fish dipped in flour, then sauteed in butter — isn’t terribly complicated. But it’s one of those dishes that really benefits from attention to detail. And in the interest of improving on “perfection,” I’ve added a few new details.

Let’s start with the fish. Julia was served Dover sole. Thick, firm and delicious, Dover sole is widely available in Europe, but not in the United States. In fact, much of the “sole” sold on these shores isn’t sole at all but a kind of flounder ... and much of that is endangered due to overfishing and should be avoided. So opt for Pacific flounder or Pacific sole or just reach for any firm-fleshed white fish that is not endangered.

Still, most white fish, even Dover sole, is a tad bland.

Accordingly, Sole Meuniere is always finished with a little pick-me-up of lemon and salt. This recipe starts with acid and salt in the form of a salty buttermilk brine, which deeply pre-seasons the fish.

Typically, sole meuniere calls for all-purpose flour, but if you can find “instantized” flour, aka Wondra,

grab it. The fish is crispier when it’s coated with Wondra.

Two important final

notes: Wait until the pan is almost smoking before adding the fish, and don’t flour the fish until the last minute,

which will prevent it from becoming gummy.

Given that we’ve added capers and lemon slices to this version, it’s more properly called Sole Grenobloise than Sole Meuniere.

Whatever, it’s delish.

SARA MOULTON VIA AP Sole meuniere