Sole meunière facts for kids
Sole meunière (say "sohl moo-nyair") is a famous and delicious French fish dish. It's made with a type of fish called sole. The fish is lightly coated in flour, then cooked in butter until it's golden brown. It's usually served with a special buttery sauce, fresh parsley, and a squeeze of lemon. This dish has a light, moist texture and a mild, pleasant taste.
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Sole Meunière: A Classic French Dish
Sole meunière is a traditional meal from France. The name "meunière" means "miller's wife" in French. This is because the fish is coated in flour, just like a miller's wife might dust flour on things.
The main ingredient is the sole fish. Chefs often prefer to use a whole Dover sole for this dish. Sole is a flatfish, which means it's flat and wide. Because of its shape, one sole fish can give you four pieces of fillet, while a round fish usually gives only two.
How Sole Meunière is Made
To make sole meunière, the fish is first prepared. If it's a whole fish, its gray skin is removed. Then, the fish is lightly covered in flour. This process is called "dredging."
Next, the floured fish is cooked in a pan with butter. This is called "pan-frying" or "sautéing." The fish cooks until it's golden and tender.
After cooking, the fish is served with a special sauce. This sauce is made from the butter left in the pan, which turns a nice brown color. Fresh parsley and a slice of lemon are also added. In fancy restaurants, a waiter might even remove the bones from the fish right at your table!
Julia Child's Special Meal
The famous American chef, Julia Child, had her first meal in France, and it was sole meunière. She loved it so much that she called it "the most exciting meal of my life." This dish really inspired her to learn more about French cooking. She wrote about this experience in her book, My Life in France.
See also
- Fish dish
- French cuisine
ja:ムニエル
