Flounder Meunière
Flounder Meunière is a classic French dish made with a delicate fillet of fish, lots of browned butter, fresh lemon and parsley. It's very simple to prepare - don't let the fancy name fool you!
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Meunière is classical French preparation that's been around for decades. Despite its elegant name, it's incredibly easy to make.
If you've ever been intimidated by cooking fish, let this be the first dish you master. It's a really simple recipe, yet fancy and impressive, making it great for both weeknight meals and special occasions!
French cooking doesn't have to be intimidating. With just 10 minutes of cooking time and a few ingredients, this classic dish is comes together easier than boxed Mac n cheese!
This dish is classically made with Dover sole it works with any fresh flaky white fish fillets you prefer. I use flounder (fluke) because it's local here at the Jersey shore and we often catch it ourselves!
For more classical French recipes, try my recipe for beurre blanc, a silky French butter sauce, or this light and crisp celery root remoulade. Or, try these easy French inspired Buttered Radish Toasts.
Why This Recipe Works
- An impressive dish, but actually very simple to make.
- Only 7 main ingredients.
- Ready in 20 minutes for an easy weeknight meal.
Ingredient Notes
Olive oil - Olive oil is used to cook the filets, but you can substitute vegetable oil or clarified butter if you prefer.
Fresh Fish - Use thin, flaky white fish filets for this recipe. Meuniere is classically made with Dover sole filets, but I use flounder (also called fluke) because it’s local to me. Feel free to use a different fish. Any delicate flaky white fish will work for this recipe. Some other options are turbot, skate, whiting or trout.
Salted butter - Use salted butter instead of unsalted butter for the best flavor. The brown butter is the key ingredient in the quick pan sauce, so don't skimp on it or substitute.
Fresh lemon juice - Use a fresh lemon and squeeze the juice. It's far superior to buying bottled lemon juice.
*Find the full ingredient list in the recipe card below!
Helpful Equipment
Fish spatula - A fish spatula makes it easier to flip, but if you don't have one, a regular spatula will work.
Stainless Steel Pan - A large stainless steel pan makes cooking the fish and brown butter easier than other types of pans.
Step by Step Instructions
- Pat each fish filet dry with paper towels, then season both sides with salt and black pepper. Pour enough olive oil to generously coat the bottom of a large skillet and place over high heat.
- Lightly coat each filet in flour and shake off any excess flour.
- Gently place flour-dredged fish into the hot skillet.
- Let the first side cook for about 2 minutes, or until the edges start to turn opaque. Use a fish spatula to carefully flip over the cooked fillet, and allow it to cook for another minute or two on the other side (time will depend on the thickness of your filets).
- Transfer the cooked fillets to a plate and repeat with the remaining fish.
- Pour out the oil, wipe out the pan and lower the heat to medium. Add in the butter and let it cook until it starts to turn golden brown and smells nutty, about 4 minutes. Toss in the thyme sprig (if using) and stand back because it will spit and spatter. Then turn off the heat and quickly squeeze in lemon juice and shake the pan around to incorporate.
- Place one filet on each plate and pour the hot butter sauce over top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with more lemon wedges on the side.
Tips for Success
- Fish will continue to cook after being removed from the pan, so adjust your cook time accordingly so that it doesn't overcook. Thicker fish filets may need a bit more cooking time.
- Make sure to give the butter enough time to properly brown. The water in the butter needs to cook off so the milk solids can brown.
Serving Suggestions
This classic French recipe is quite rich with its nutty brown butter sauce, so I like to serve it with something light on the side.
Try it with a salad like this grilled romaine wedge or a Kale Caesar salad, along with a side of greens such as sautéed broccoli rabe with garlic or Italian escarole.
You can't go wrong with a side of crispy roasted potatoes and onions, or for another classic French recipe, try it with these decadent Dauphinoise potatoes!
It's made by first coating the fish with a bit of flour. Once it cooks, you'll make a simple sauce with
This simple side of Corn and Green Beans with herb butter would also be a delicious pairing!
FAQ
This dish is best eaten fresh, but any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. To reheat, place fish with sauce in a covered oven safe container and heat for about 15 minutes at 275 degrees F.
A meuniere sauce is a brown butter and lemon based sauce that is typically made for fish. It's rich, but brightened up by the fresh lemon juice. Meuniere also refers to the cooking method of dredging fish in flour before cooking, when paired with the sauce.
You can cook this recipe using a whole fish, but you will fish need to remove the skin and fins. You can cook it whole, but you'll deconstruct it from the bones before serving.
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Flounder Meunière
Ingredients
- 4 nice sized filets of flounder 4-6 oz each*
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil**
- All purpose flour for dredging 2-3 cups
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 sprig fresh thyme optional
- 1 lemon plus more wedges for serving
- 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Pat the fish filets dry with paper towels, then season both sides with salt and pepper. Pour enough olive oil to generously coat the bottom of a medium-large saute pan and place over high heat.
- Working with one filet at a time, lightly dredge in flour and shake off any excess, then gently lay it into the hot oil. Let it cook for about 2 minutes, or until the edges start to turn opaque. Use a fish spatula to carefully flip it over, and allow it to cook for another minute or two on the other side (time will depend on the thickness of your filets). Repeat with the remaining fish.
- Pour out the oil, wipe out the pan and lower the heat to medium. Add in the butter and let it cook until it starts to turn golden brown and smells nutty, about 4 minutes. Toss in the thyme sprig (if using) and stand back because it will spit and spatter. Then turn off the heat and quickly squeeze in lemon juice and shake the pan around to incorporate.
- Place one filet on each plate and pour the butter sauce over top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately with more lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- *Substitute any light flaky fish like turbot, skate, whiting, trout or Dover sole.
- **Substitute vegetable oil or clarified butter if you wish.
- Thicker fish filets may need a bit more cooking time.
- A stainless steel frying pan or saucepan works best to make the brown butter meunière sauce.
- Make sure to give the butter enough time to cook. The water in the butter needs to cook off so the milk solids can brown.
Great Recipe. Turned out well. I did have to fry on a lower heat than the recipe.
Thank you so much for commenting!
This is absolutely awesome. An amazing dish that is easy to make. It tastes like I went to a restaurant and bought it.
SO glad you loved the recipe!
Didn’t add thyme - I love it but my husband Ralph likes fish flavor- no seasonings. Parsley ok with him. I love buttery sauce!!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Tasty and easy to make!
Thanks Melissa!
This recipe has quickly become my favorite way to make flounder! Simple but tasty.
So glad! thanks for the review!
Looking forward to making this! What would you suggest as a side dish? Obvioisly something very light to offset the butter
Awesome, Kim! I'd definitely keep the sides lighter, like simple roasted potatoes, sautéed green beans or grilled asparagus. Also a basic green salad! Mashed cauliflower is great too.
Nicole - I LOVE Meuniere but let's call it what it is: Fish with Butter. Lots of butter. (Spam with butter would be great.) But this dish is a great, flavorful and classic recipe that never gets old. And - I've been following your adventures in Greece. You and Chaser seem to be having a life worth living. I'll admit that I don't miss Brigantine - but I'll miss seeing you occasionally at Soulberri. Have a great time..
My flounder curled as soon as it hit the oil So I couldn't cook it flat. It looked scrambled.
I read other suggestions to make small cuts along the edges. .
I'm so sorry that happened, Jean. Making a few cuts in the fish can help with curling, but I find this technique works better for a thicker, more dense piece of fish. Flounder is so delicate, the cuts can make it fall apart. What does help is to gently, but firmly, press the pack of the fish with a spatula for the first 30 seconds or so it's in the pan. It helps to keep it flat, so once the proteins relax, it won't curl up. I hope you try it again!
What’s the red stuff on the fish?
I think you're referring to the little bits of browned butter - those are the browned milk solids, so flavorful!
Coley, I'm always looking for healthy and easy recipes and this one is a jackpot! It was so good, that I made it 2 days in a row. Delicious!
Hey Sabine - thanks for your comment! I'm so happy you love the recipe. It's one of my favorites!
We catch a lot of flounder around here, Coley. I'll follow your instructions next time I cook it, but I think we need a live demo one day. 😉
Yes!! We'll cook this and much more someday (hopefully soon!)
My wife asked me to find a good recipe for the fresh flounder she pivked up yesterday, and I remembered having this while in France. I found your recipe which my wife followed explicitly. Results?
Well, I am sitting here at 05:40 in the morning dreaming about last night's meal. Amazing.
Well done!!