Flounder Meunière (Printable)

Crispy pan-fried flounder with lemon browned butter sauce

# What You'll 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 - 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. Dredge each fillet lightly in flour, shaking off excess to ensure even coating.
03 - Heat 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until the butter becomes foamy.
04 - Add the flounder fillets to the hot skillet, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the exterior is golden brown and the flesh is cooked through. Transfer to a warm platter.
05 - Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and cook over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until it turns golden brown and emits a nutty aroma, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and chopped parsley. Immediately spoon the browned butter sauce over the cooked flounder fillets.
07 - Plate the flounder and sauce while hot. Garnish with lemon wedges for serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in a bistro kitchen when you actually spent twenty minutes at your stove.
  • The browned butter sauce does all the heavy lifting, turning something simple into something unforgettable.
  • Delicate flounder stays tender and flaky when you respect its cooking time, no guesswork required.
02 -
  • The moment you remove browned butter from heat, the cooking stops—if you leave it on the flame for even one minute longer it will tip from golden perfection into bitter and burned.
  • Don't season the flounder more than a minute before cooking or the salt will weep moisture from the flesh and prevent browning.
03 -
  • If you're nervous about the browned butter step, make it first while your fillets rest on the warm platter—it's the same technique every time and you'll get confident after doing it once.
  • Toast your flour in a dry skillet for one minute before dredging if you want extra richness and nuttiness in that crust.
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