I recently purchased a copy of “I Know How to Cook” by Ginette Mathiot, which is a translation of the French classic Je Sais Cuisiner. I’ve made a few things from it already, and here’s one of my favorites so far:
Sole à la meunière (Translation: Fancy-ass fish sticks.)
- 1 lb Dover sole filets*
- salt, pepper, flour, milk
- 1 stick of butter
- 3-4 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped fine
Season the sole filets with salt and pepper on both sides, then dip them in milk and dredge them in flour until lightly coated. Heat 4-5 tbsp of butter in a skillet on medium until melted and foaming, then fry the sole filets, turning once until browned on both sides. Remove the sole to a serving platter (cover it with a paper towel if desired), and remove the skillet from heat. In a fresh saucepan, melt the remaining butter and let it brown slowly on medium-low heat (it will turn a brown color and smell nutty). Carefully pour the hot butter into the fishy skillet, stir it to let the butter absorb the fishiness, then pour the resulting butter mixture over the fish. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.
* So apparently you have to be very careful when buying sole, because there are two species of fish named Dover sole, and one of them (the one I expect is more commonly available in American supermarkets) is not truly sole. They are both flat fish, but real Dover sole has a very delicate flaky texture and an unmistakable subtle taste which the other kind lacks completely.
The fishing industry is really sketchy with naming, by the way (another example is how basa swai can’t be labeled “giant catfish” even though that’s what it is, because the catfish lobby is just that powerful). I guess they figure that one white, flat fish looks the same as all the others!
Side (pictured): We had leftovers from the previous day’s buttermilk mashed potatoes, and some leftover (cave-aged!) gruyère from another night, so I combined them. Layer mashed potatoes, a layer of sour cream (or crème fraîche if you can find it), another layer of mashed potatoes, and then a layer of grated gruyère, parmesan, and dried thyme leaves. Bake at 375–400˚F in a greased baking dish until the cheesy top turns golden brown.