Flounder Meunière with Lemon Butter (Printable)

Golden pan-fried flounder with nutty lemon butter sauce in 20 minutes

# What You Need:

→ Fish

01 - 4 flounder fillets (about 5.3 oz each), skin removed
02 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
03 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Dredging

04 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

→ Cooking

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

→ Sauce

07 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
08 - Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
09 - 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
10 - Lemon wedges for serving

# How-To:

01 - Pat the flounder fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
02 - Place flour on a shallow plate. Dredge each fillet lightly in flour, shaking off excess.
03 - Heat 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
04 - When the butter is foamy, add the fillets in batches if necessary. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a warm platter.
05 - Wipe out the skillet. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Cook over medium heat until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Immediately spoon the browned butter sauce over the fish.
07 - Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The whole thing comes together in twenty minutes, which means you can make something restaurant-quality on a random Tuesday without the stress.
  • Flounder is so delicate and forgiving that even if you're nervous about cooking fish, this will work beautifully.
  • That browned butter sauce tastes like liquid gold and makes you feel like a real cook.
02 -
  • The moment you see that brown butter turn from golden to dark amber, take it off the heat—another thirty seconds and it tips from nutty to bitter, which ruins everything.
  • Flounder is delicate enough that it'll overcook if you're not watching, so keep the heat medium-high and don't wander away; three minutes per side is your target, not a minimum.
03 -
  • Dry flounder is everything—wet fish steams instead of sears, so give those paper towels real attention before the pan even heats.
  • If your brown butter sauce seizes or looks grainy, whisk in a tiny splash of water off the heat and it'll come back smooth and glossy.
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