No simplifications, no easing calories, but just plain good: sole meuniere

Ragazzi, you have seen how, when she can, Annalena is trying to lower the calorie load for all of us, and also how, when it can be done, she tries to simplify dishes for us all. And you appreciate it, don't you?
Well, there are times when a dish is so good, that the fact that you CAN'T lower the calories, and CAN'T make it simpler, are irrelevant. You simply push ahead and make it. And so it is here, with sole meuniere.

And let Annalena be clear, it MUST be SOLE meuniere. There is no "substitute another white fish" here, because, at best, you could MAYBE get away with flounder, but nothing else. Now, in terms of technique, this really isn't that difficult. One must be organized and ready, because the dish moves quickly, once you're ready. Nor is there any chance at "making ahead" here. You cook this, you put it on the plate, you pour a glass of white wine, and you eat. Period. Apart from the basic expense of good sole, the "minute" style of cooking, is undoubtedly why this dish is so expensive in restaurants: someone must be taken off the line, to do it, to order. There is no other way.

If Annalena hasn't scared you away yet, please continue , especially those of you who are NOT big fish fans, because this is the kind of fish dish for you. Remember that many a mother has convinced her fishphobic child that fish is "just white steak," using sole, or flounder. So, let's do it.

But first, let's look at this name "meuniere" and Annalena's musings du jour. "Meuniere" stands for "the miller's wife." What the miller was doing with fish is a question many of us will not be able to answer, but since we know from Chaucer and his "Miller's Tale," and from Sondheim and his "I shall marry the miller's son," the miller clan gets around. So, perhaps there was a visit by the fisherman to the miller's wife, or to his son, when the miller was out milling. Who knows? In any event, isn't etymology fascinating (so is entymology, but not here).

Ok, so what do you need? To cook a pound of fish, you will need a pound of sole filets. Annalena had six of them in her pound. You probably shouldn't be looking for more than that, and no fewer than four. Other ingredients, in this version (which honestly, is NOT the classic one): some flour, which you spread out on a flat surface. Four ounces (half a stick) of unsalted butter. Two tablespoons, and some extra, of vegetable oil. And a healthy 1/3 cup of citrus juice. Annalena used her seville oranges and meyer lemons for hers (just like with her beets), but use what you have. Make sure you have some lemons of some kind in the mix though. You can also add capers and parsley, but we will not do so here.

In what may be the most important step in this recipe, pat your sole filets as dry as possible. Annalena does this by laying them between paper towels for a few minutes, while she squeezes her citrus, puts the flour on a baking sheet, and gets her non stick pans out and distributes the oil between them. When the fish is dry, season it lightly with salt and pepper. Then start your pans getting hot. While this is happening, dredge your fish in the flour.

Unfortunately, sole is not a fish that you can put into a bag and "shake and bake." It is far too delicate and you will have fish ribbons if you do this. So, spread the flour out and dip the fish in it. At most you will have six pieces, so don't worry about going crazy. If your pans are sufficiently hot, when you put the fish into the oil, it will sizzle immediately. Let them cook for no more than two minutes, flip and cook for another two. You will want your biggest spatula for this.

When you're done, you will notice that the fish has not cooked too much. That's exactly what you want: just a light brown color. Now, take one of those pans, and clean it out. The water will hit it and you will get steam. (the other one can be allowed to cool). Dry it out well, put it back on the heat, and add the four tablespoons of butter. Let it get very close to melting completely, and when it's there, pour in your citrus juice. Let it boil and bubble for all of 3-4 minutes. You will see a thickening and browning of the liquid, and that's what you want.

Now, most recipes tell you to take the fish and pour the sauce over it. Annalena abjures this instruction, and puts the fish back into the sauce, and turns it, once or twice. She finds that this gives more flavor to the fish all over, and since you will be eating this with something like boiled potatoes, or rice, and a vegetable to balance the large amount of fat you are about to put away, doing so eliminates the excess sauce that will bleed onto your plate (She thinks of everything, doesn't she?).

And, you're ready... Plate up your fish. To Annalena's palette, the combination of flavors gave the butter an extra level of creaminess, and the citrus had carmelized a bit, so that there were tart, and sweet elements throughout. It was, shall we say, one of her biggest successes in recent months.

Yes, a good six plus tablespoons of fat distributed between two people is not so good, but all in balance ragazzi. Broiled chicken for lunch is the balance here. And, the boiled potatoes and broccoli rabb did not hurt things.

Try it. Even if you don't like fish. And if you LIKE fish, or even LOVE fish, and have feared for "meuniere," because of the foreignness of the name, or the price in restaurants, well, get over the former, and go to the restaurant where you saw it and say "NYAH NYAH."