A simple French-style fish dish where the butter itself becomes the sauce, burnished golden and nutty as it cooks. This cultured Irish butter has the tang and richness to carry a whole meal on its own, turning sole into something supple and elegant in minutes.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 18 at the stove.

About 380 calories a serving, 3 g protein, 17 g carbohydrate, 35 g fat. From USDA figures for 67% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Pat 4 sole fillets dry with a cloth and season both sides with salt and pepper. Dust each fillet lightly with 2 tablespoons of flour on one side only.
2. Set a skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the Irish butter. When it foams, lay the floured side of each fillet into the pan and cook for 2 minutes until the bottom is pale gold, then turn carefully and cook 1 to 2 minutes more until the flesh is opaque and flakes gently. Transfer the fish to a warm plate.3 min
3. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter with 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon dried sage. Stir once and let the butter cook for 1 to 2 minutes, swirling the pan often, until it turns hazelnut brown and smells nutty; watch it closely as it can darken suddenly. Squeeze juice from half a lemon into the pan and turn off the heat.2 min
4. Pour the brown butter sauce over the fish and serve immediately with the remaining lemon cut into wedges on the side.

Note Swap sole for any thin white fish fillets or scallops. Leftovers do not keep well; best served hot. Serve alongside steamed potatoes, bitter greens, or white rice to soak up the butter sauce.