Taste Buds

from the kitchen of

To Mr B in Castor: Thank you for your kind words about last issue’s recipe and I am very glad you and your wife enjoyed your plate of Saucisse Provence, it’s particularly popular here at CP. Glad also you managed to get the appropriate sausages – does make a difference. Ah, bonjour mes amies within your lovely villages in Tribuneland. This issue of your well-respected magazine I am to tell you about a dish which has the soul of France on a plate. It is, quite simply, simple, yet the sublime taste will last many memories from its eating

Sole Meunière

The sole is probably the king of fishes. Indeed, this fish is the protagonist of the preferred dish of Le Roi Soleil King Louis XIV: the Sole Meunière! The term Meunière means Miller and recalls the flour used to coat the Sole before frying. It is one of the most iconic French recipes, as was perfectly encapsulated by the American Chef and TV personality Julia Child. Julia was an American cooking teacher, author, and television personality who is generally recognised for bringing a higher standard of French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable being The French Chef which premiered in 1963. In her book of memories, My Life in France, Julia describes her first Sole Meunière at the Restaurant La Couronne, in Rouen: “Perfectly browned in a sputtering butter sauce with a sprinkling of chopped parsley on top. 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 marvellously with the browned butter. It was a morsel of perfection. This is the ‘morsel of perfection’ you home gourmandes may indeed bring to your own tables in Tribuneland with my straightforward and easy recipe.

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At CP we serve on a pre-warmed plate with crushed new potatoes with rocket and lemon or you may wish to accompany with a side of sauté potatoes and French beans or just well-seasoned French fries. A wonderful lightly-chilled wine choice is our Puligny Montrachet 2016 – Olivier Leflaive or perhaps our less expensive but rewarding house Macon Villages.

For four you need: 4 fillets sole, or plaice if you cannot get sole, skin-on (about 140g/5oz each), 6 tbsp plain flour, 3 tbsp light olive oil or sunflower oil, 85g butter, ideally unsalted, 1 lemon, juice only, 2 tbsp small caper (optional), chopped parsley.

B B

 Check the fish for small bones and pull any out with tweezers.  In a large shallow bowl, season the flour with a little salt and black pepper. Toss the fish in the flour, coating well, and shake off any excess.  Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the fish and cook, skin-side down, for 2 mins. Use a fish slice or large spatula to turn, then cook the other side for 1-2 mins until golden.

 Remove the fish to a warmed plate, then season. Wipe out the pan with kitchen paper.  Return the pan to the heat, then add the butter. Heat until it melts and begins to turn a light brown, then mix in the lemon juice and capers, if using. Swirl in the pan for a few secs, return fish to the pan and spoon over any juices.  Serve immediately on to well-warmed white plates with a sprinkle of chopped parsley. Bon Appetit, Pierre x askchezpierre@gmail.com

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