Thursday, January 7, 2010

So much to learn, and Sole a la Meuniere

So, there is much to learn. For instance, the images in my last post are in exactly the wrong places. And reliable old copy/paste shortcuts don't work so well in the web-based Blogger app. Stick with me. I'll figure it out. In the meantime, by popular request, here is this evening's Eat Here recipe.

You can do this with really great fish, like if someone you know goes fishing offshore, say, or you buy the expensive stuff. But you can also use this for wonderful results on farm-raised tilapia. A la meuniere (I'll ask Lauren to keep us honest on this) is a dish cooked in the style of "the miller's wife", by which we mean, dusted in seasoned flour. The "sole" referred to in the recipe name doesn't have to be sole, or flounder, or any flat fish - it can be any fish that will bear up to pan cooking. So you trim the fish (any dark meat on fish will generally convey a stronger fishy taste) and prepare a cup or so of plain flour, seasoned with salt, pepper, and fresh chopped parsley. Dredge the fish fillets in flour, and brown them in a skillet with plain butter, turning once. As the fillets are cooked, remove from the skillet, place on an ovensafe plate and keep warm in the oven. When they're all done, you can pour the butter over the finished fillets and sprinkle them with leftover chopped fresh parsley.






At my house, it is being pointed out to me, this dish is actually the anchor for a menu. The fish is pefectly accompanied by our favorite cheese grits and a big gorgeous salad. Take the opportunity to make the salad glamorous by adding strawberries and walnuts, or watermelon and almonds...you know, whatever works in the season and brightens your table. The cheese grits are easy, and you can use cheese or not, as you prefer. At our house, we make grits according to the recipe and then add sharp Cheddar and red pepper; we often do this in our big old crockpot and everyone is happy. Cook this stuff and your people will be, too.

2 comments:

  1. For some reason, in my family we always had stewed tomatoes with fish and grits. I like the combination. But okra and tomatoes is even better.
    Nice one!

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  2. I love the okra and tomatoes idea, since it also adds the color the plate needs. I would love to have a recipe from you now and then (you may have done this in older posts I haven't read, and if so, I apologize). When you talk about soups and venison stew and making bread, my mouth always waters. Of course I drool when I look at that darling baby boy, too....

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