Recipe: Turbot Fillet Cooked Meunière

Turbot meunière is a classic from Parisian fish restaurants and brasseries. You can cook it year-round, but autumn and winter are when endive shines, fresh from the fields, pale white and gently bitter. Chorizo dice brings a hint of southern warmth without taking over. It's a lunch dish, straightforward to plate, just technique and focus. Seasonal timing: endive grows October through March, exactly when fuller-bodied white wines hold their own at table. A dry Chablis, Sancerre, even Meursault if you're in the mood for richness: all work cleanly against the butter and capers' acidity. Skip the fruity whites, they don't match. For occasions, think Sunday family lunch or a dinner with friends when your fishmonger has fresh turbot. No need for grand gestures, just serve warm on the plate. On the side, a mâche and beetroot salad finishes it, or simply toasted bread to soak up the pan juice. Line-caught turbot deserves respect: no sauce to mask it, just golden butter and vegetables in conversation with the fish.