Sole Sister Julia Child’s Most Exciting Meal

“I closed my eyes and inhaled the rising perfume. Then I lifted a forkful of fish to my mouth, took a bite, and chewed slowly. The flesh of the sole was delicate, with a light but distinct taste of the ocean that blended marvelously with the browned butter. I chewed slowly and swallowed. It was a morsel of perfection.”

When Julia Child and husband Paul arrived in Rouen, France she experienced what she described as “the most exciting meal of my life”. Sole Meunière is the classic French preparation of sole, either whole or fillets, dredged in flour, sautéed and served with brown butter, lemon and parsley sauce. Its beauty is in its simplicity.

Kim Monahan holding a jumbo fluke or summer flounder

Our grey sole from the gulf of Maine are perfect for this dish. They sauté in minutes, the sauce is quick to make and dinner is served. There is something about the sweet nuttiness of grey sole along with the nuttiness of browned butter and the contrasting sour tartness of the lemon. You can really see why that simple little plate of sole may just have been the spark that set America’s French chef off on her life long culinary journey. 

Any of the flatfish that we carry would be great for this recipe but grey sole is the best, and they’ve been beautiful lately!