Flounder Meunière with Lemon Butter (Printer-friendly)

Crispy flour-dredged flounder with nutty browned butter and fresh lemon

# Ingredient List:

→ Fish

01 - 4 flounder fillets (about 5.3 oz each), skin removed
02 - 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
03 - 0.25 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Dredging

04 - 0.5 cup all-purpose flour

→ Cooking

05 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Sauce

07 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
09 - 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
10 - Lemon wedges for serving

# How-To Steps:

01 - Pat the flounder fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with salt and pepper.
02 - Place flour on a shallow plate. Lightly coat each fillet in flour, shaking off excess to ensure even, thin coverage.
03 - Heat 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until the butter is foamy.
04 - Add fillets to the hot skillet in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a warm platter.
05 - Wipe out the skillet. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until it turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma.
06 - Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and chopped parsley. Immediately spoon the browned butter sauce over the cooked fish.
07 - Transfer fish to serving plates and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours cooking when really you've got dinner on the table in twenty minutes flat.
  • The flounder stays impossibly tender while the butter sauce turns golden and nutty, creating this perfect balance of delicate and rich.
  • It works for a casual weeknight or impresses guests without requiring you to stress in the kitchen.
02 -
  • The moment you see brown specks in the butter, you've hit the sweet spot—any longer and it tips into burnt, which tastes acrid and wrong.
  • Don't cook the fillets in batches unless you absolutely have to, because they release moisture and steam instead of getting a proper golden crust.
  • Lemon juice added to hot butter will splatter, so be ready and add it away from your body.
03 -
  • Buy flounder fillets from a fishmonger if you can, talk to them about what's fresh that day, and ask them to remove the skin—it makes the whole process easier.
  • Keep a small bowl of water nearby when you're dredging the fish so you can rinse your hands and prevent a flour-covered kitchen disaster.
  • The browned butter sauce is best made right before serving; if you make it too early, it cools and loses its magic.
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