Brown Butter Sauce, Beurre Blanc & the New Julia Child Movie

19 August 2009 by Jean Johnson

Julia. Even the sound of her name brings lavish thoughts–grounded in a no nonsense approach to life. Bon vivant she was with her “bon appetit!”

That’s why I’ve been smiling since watching Meryl Streep bring Julia Child alive once again on the big screen. Ah, yes. Wasn’t our Julia a grand dame.

And the Sole Meuniere scene. No way but that writer-director, Nora Ephron, would include Julia Child’s epiphany. That moment, when seated across from her debonair husband in Rouen, France, Julia Child tasted her first morsels of Sole Meuniere:  dover sole boned tableside and decked out in a buttery wine sauce.

It wasn’t more than two days after I saw the movie that I queued up at the fish counter. No dover in sight so I bought some cheap little Rex sole fillets. A quick dredge in flour (whole wheat of course, since the white stuff is sooo paste-y) and a quick pan fry. Then the sauce, which was the real reason for all this business. And I made so much of it that there was plenty leftover the next day to spoon on some zucchini.

Beurre Blanc

Beurre Blanc is as great on the humble squash as it is on fish.

Recipe Note

Mince shallots and put them into a Julia Child sized slug of white wine over lots of heat to reduce the wine and concentrate the flavor. Add a pat of butter at a time, whisking until you get a creamy brew. Then a squeeze of lemon and mince of parsley.

zuccwithbutterwinesauce

Brown Butter Sauce

Recipe Note

Fry some white fish, take it out of the pan and add lemon juice and parsley to the remaining butter and fishy bits. Spoon this heavenly goop onto your fillets.

Tak, Julia. Tak. Beurre Blanc made my eyes roll, too, right here at my own table.

You were right. We Americans do need to splash the wine about more in our kitchens–and get the butter out, too.

Olive oil’s good, definitely. But butter and wine? Mais oui!

At least that was the take home message I got from this latest film dedicated to your refined, magnanimous, brilliance.

Tak, Julia. Tak.

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  1. 3 Responses to “Brown Butter Sauce, Beurre Blanc & the New Julia Child Movie”

  2. LOVED the movie! LOVED your blog! Can’t wait to try the sauce on the next piece of fish I fry. Thanks, Jean. Hope you’re having a wonderful time in the Bay area. Looks like you are going to be extremely busy! There is some down time factored in there, I hope.

    Susan

    By Susan Coleman on Aug 21, 2009

  3. Jean, Jean, Jean loved your Blog. I am going to the movie Satuday and can’t wait. I listened to the book on tape and it is my very favorite. Julia is inspirational and so are you! Keep up the good work.

    By marsha buzan on Aug 25, 2009

  4. I just watched the movie today, laughed and cried, came home to 1) find mastering the art on EBay and 2) find the recipe for beurre blanc!
    merci beaucoup for the recipe… now do i have fish with beurre blanc or beoff bourgingion?

    By lavenda on Aug 30, 2009

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