Sooo, here’s the thing. Dad’s Brown Butter Sole is actually a version of Sole Meunière. Okay, okay…. what’s a Meunière you’re asking…. sounds fancy! Wikipedia tells me the word is French for miller’s wife and to cook something à la meunière is actually a very simple process. You just dredge it first in flour and then cook it in an extremely easy to make sauce: brown butter, chopped parsley and lemon. We enhance the traditional recipe first by seasoning the Sole with salt and by adding garlic powder to the extra salt and cracked pepper in the flour in which we dredge the fish. Even though I am a Canadian francophone by heritage, I just thought Brown Butter Sole is easier to pronounce and even more important… to remember.

So, trust me this is super easy to make and Sole is a great fish to add to your repertoire. The flour and butter in this dish combine to make a beautiful brown crust and the parsley and lemon produce a subtle, not too fishy flavour. A ‘white fish’ that swims on the ocean bottom, sole is nutritionally similar to flounder which it also closely resembles. Both also have milder flavours so they don’t suffer from ‘that fishy taste’ that turns some people off. For my purposes as a home cook, they are one and the same same and so are largely interchangeable. So, either sole or flounder are great fish additions as you strive toward the recommended 8 ounces a week suggested to help fight heart disease.

Sole/flounder are both known as low density high energy food sources. They are low in calories and offer more energy per 100 grams than other heavier foods. It’s easier to feel full by eating less of these foods and they are also low in saturated fats so they are useful choices for people interested in controlling weight. They are also high in protein. In fact a serving of either provides half the recommended protein needed by men and women per day. And, because they contain all the essential amino acids require, they’re a high quality source of protein.

Both fish are also good sources of B vitamins, essential for turning food into energy. They also are great sources of magnesium which helps produce energy, make protein, and aid in blood sugar and blood pressure maintenance. The phosphorus is them is helpful for keeping bones and teeth strong.

Once you’ve got everything assembled for this recipe, it comes together very quickly so make sure all your sides are ready to serve as you begin. In these photos you’ll see I served the fish with some simple steamed broccoli and something I’m really fond of, cauliflower cashew mash which is a great mashed potato alternative.