Lovely sole fillets coated in egg and flour and then pan-fried until crispy and golden. Served with a luscious lemon and butter sauce. A quick, easy and delicious fish dinner.
It’s hard to beat the classic combination of lemon with fish. This sole Francese (aka sole Francaise) achieves that in such an easy and delicious way!
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Sole fillets – You can start with fresh sole fillets or frozen sole fillets that have been thoroughly thawed.
Fresh lemons – You will need about 2 fresh lemons for the slices and the lemon juice needed for the sauce.
Parsley – Fresh parsley brings a nice hit of colour to this dish. Dried parsley will work in a pinch.
White wine – Use any white wine that you enjoy drinking. If you prefer not to use wine or don’t have any on hand you could substitute a bit of chicken broth instead or simply omit and go with a lemon butter sauce. You may need to add more lemon juice in that case.
How to make sole Francese
- Start by stirring together the egg, Parmesan cheese and parsley in a bowl.
- Add some flour to a plate. Dip the fish first in the flour and then in the egg.
- Add the fish to a skillet with melted butter.
- Flip the fish once golden underneath.
- Remove the fish to a warmed plate.
- Wipe the skillet and brown some lemon slices on each side.
- Remove the lemon slices to the plate with the fish.
- Start the sauce by adding the wine to the hot skillet and cooking for about 1 minute, then add the butter and lemon juice and allow to cook briefly to thicken the sauce slightly.
- Finish the sauce with chopped parsley, then pour the sauce over the fish on the serving platter.
Recipe tips!
- You can adjust the amount of lemon juice added to the sauce to taste.
- If you would like a thicker sauce, you can make use of a Beurre Manié, which is simply equal parts of butter and flour kneaded together (adding the flour to a fat prevents the flour from clumping when added to the sauce). Add the Beurre Manié to the sauce at the end to cooking thicken it a bit.
Making ahead and storing
Fish is always best enjoyed freshly cooked, as cooking and re-heating risks overcooking the fish.
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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Get the Recipe: Sole Francese
Ingredients
- 1 lb sole fillets, fresh or thawed frozen fillets
- 2 large eggs
- 3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 3-4 slices fresh lemon
For the sauce:
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed recommended
- 2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium bowl mix together the eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and some salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour the mixture onto rimmed or deep plate (for dipping).
- Add the flour to a another rimmed or deep plate.
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat and then add the butter and melt. Stir the butter together with the oil.
- Pat the sole dry with a paper towel, dredge in the flour then coat on both sides with the egg and cheese mixture. Immediately add the fish to the skillet.
- Tip! Warm the serving platter by running it under hot water and then drying off.
- Cook the fillets until browned underneath, then flip and brown the other side, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove the fish to a warmed serving platter.
- Wipe the skillet, then add the lemon slices to the skillet. Cook briefly on medium-high heat until browned on both sides, then remove them to the plate with the fish.
- Make the sauce by adding the wine to the skillet over medium-high heat and allow to cook off for about one minute. Add the butter to the skillet and melt, then add the lemon juice and stir in. Cook briefly together until the sauce is thickens slightly then stir in the parsley and season with a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning and/or add additional lemon juice, if desired.
- Pour the sauce over the fish and serve immediately garnished with additional chopped parsley.
- Tip! If you'd like a thicker sauce, mix/knead together 1 Tbsp of butter with 1 Tbsp of flour and stir into the sauce at the end of cooking.
Notes
More fish recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
