My husband introduced me to petrale sole—a delicate, mildly sweet fish that, contrary to the name, is actually a flounder—and that’s the type of fish we typically enjoy in this recipe. But you can use whatever sole, flounder, or other thin fish fillet you like.
Often we simply flour and pan-brown our petrale, then add a squeeze of lemon at the table. Although that super-simple preparation is pretty perfect, here it’s dressed up just a bit more, with a simple pan sauce—and it’s still an easy, quick, and delicious way to enjoy fish. (For tips for cooking delicious fish, see this post. For more about pan sauces, see this post.)
On the side, a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
Serves 2
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper, or more to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons canola or other neutral-flavored oil, divided
- 12 ounces sole fillets
- 1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white wine
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 10 or 12 pieces
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
Preheat the oven to 250°F. In a shallow bowl or pie pan, combine the flour, salt, and pepper.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil. Working in batches, dredge the fish in the flour mixture and cook until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the fish to plates and place in the oven. Carefully wipe out the skillet and repeat with the remaining fish.
Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the wine, and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until reduced to a thin layer in the skillet. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, 2 or 3 pieces at a time. Stir in the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon the sauce over the fish. Garnish with the parsley and lemon wedges and serve.
