Flounder Meunière (Printable Version)

Golden pan-fried flounder with nutty lemon 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 Make It:

01 - Pat flounder fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Place all-purpose flour on a shallow plate. Dredge each fillet lightly through the flour coating both sides, then shake off excess flour.
03 - Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until the butter is foamy.
04 - Add flounder fillets to the hot skillet in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Cook 2-3 minutes per side until the exterior is golden brown and the fish is cooked through. Transfer cooked fillets to a warm platter.
05 - Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Add 4 tablespoons butter to the pan. Cook over medium heat, swirling frequently, until the butter turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma, approximately 2-3 minutes.
06 - Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in fresh lemon juice and chopped flat-leaf parsley. Immediately spoon the browned butter sauce over the cooked flounder fillets.
07 - Transfer dressed flounder to serving plates immediately while the sauce is warm. Garnish with lemon wedges for additional brightness.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • This comes together faster than ordering takeout, which means you can pull off something genuinely elegant on a random Tuesday.
  • Flounder is delicate and forgiving if you don't overthink it, so even nervous cooks get a win here.
  • The browned butter sauce tastes like restaurant cooking but happens right in your own kitchen with four ingredients.
02 -
  • Browned butter can turn from golden to burnt in seconds, so watch it carefully and pull the pan off heat the moment it smells nutty and toasted rather than dark and acrid.
  • Don't skip patting the fish dry—wet fillets will stick to the pan and fall apart, turning a simple dish into a frustrating one.
  • Flounder is thin and cooks fast, so set a timer and trust it; overcooked delicate fish becomes rubbery and sad, while perfectly cooked fish is ethereal.
03 -
  • Use a nonstick skillet or a well-seasoned cast iron pan so the delicate fish doesn't stick and tear—this is not the time to test your technique on a new stainless steel pan.
  • Brown butter burns fast, so have a heatproof bowl ready if you want to hold the sauce for a moment; a cold spoon stirred into it will stop the cooking instantly.
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