Mystery Lovers' Kitchen

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Petrale Sole Meunière

This is a slightly simplified version of the dish that supposedly triggered Julia Child’s “ah-ha!” moment, sending her on her voyage of culinary discovery and delight. Julia’s fish was Dover sole, whereas this recipe uses what’s known as Petrale sole (actually a right-eyed flounder), a fish native to the Pacific Coast.

The recipe is pretty simple: simply dredge the fillet in seasoned flour, pan fry it quickly in butter, then finish it with a squeeze of lemon juice. (The traditional sole meunière adds a final drizzle of brown butter, which I didn’t do here, but could easily be added as a last step. I also used garlic powder, not a part of the French dish.)

Petrale Sole Meunière

(serves 1)

Ingredients

1 fillet of sole, flounder, or whatever flat fish you prefer

salt and pepper

garlic powder

1-2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter

lemon juice

Directions

Lightly season both sides of the fish with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. (See photo above.)

Either sprinkle flour onto the fish and spread evenly on both sides, or pour flour onto a large plate and dredge the fish in it, then shaking off the excess.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it melts and starts to bubble, carefully lay the fish in the pan.

Cook until golden brown on the bottom—about 2 minutes.

Flip the fillet and continue cooking until just done in the middle—another minute or two. You don’t want to overcook the fish, or it will dry out.

Remove to a serving plate and squeeze lemon juice over the fish.

Serve with lemon wedges, in case more juice is desired. I had mine with sautéed beet greens and baby artichokes from my garden.

Bon appétit!

🌿 🐟 🌱

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WATERS OF DESTRUCTION

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Orchid Isle Mystery #1

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Booklist

This first book in my brand-new Orchid Isle mystery series features retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen who, on a trip to the Big Island of Hawai‘i, swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions when a hike to an active lava flow turns deadly.

Praise for MOLTEN DEATH:

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A SENSE FOR MURDER

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“[Sally is] sassy, irresistible company... Culinary cozy fans will be in heaven.”

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“An enjoyable read for mystery mavens and foodies alike.”

--Kirkus Reviews

Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops,

the Law, and Cooking for RBG

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Tuesday, July 8, 2025

LIGHT BLUEBERRY BLONDIES by Cleo Coyle for #NationalBlueberryDay

From Cleo Coyle: For National Blueberry Day (yes, there is such a thing!), I'm baking up my lovely, light BLUEBERRY BLONDIES. A cross between a butterscotch blondie and a blueberry muffin, these treats deliver delectable butterscotch background notes thanks to the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. And though they're more cakey than a traditional blondie, once cooled they develop a slightly chewy texture and crusty top reminiscent of an actual blondie. Best of all, this blueberry version has less calories and more nutrition than a regular blondie (more on that below).

Now let's get our

Blueberry Blondies on
for National Blueberry Day!

Cleo Coyle writes two
bestselling mystery

series with her husband.
To learn more, click here.

☕ A Recipe Note from Cleo

I originally developed this recipe for the Coffeehouse Mystery series that I write in collaboraton with my husband, Marc, and ever since he and I have enjoyed many fresh pans of these babies. When fresh blueberries aren't plentiful, you can make this recipe anytime of year because it works just as well with frozen berries.

As for the "healthified" aspect, here's the scoop. While an 8-inch square pan of blondies typically calls for 1 whole stick (8 T.) of butter, this recipe uses only 3 T. butter and includes plenty of blueberries, a superfood that offers nutrition and fiber.

Finally, here's a clue to maintaining the chewy texture with less butter. It's the additon of an astringent ingredient (in this case vinegar, but lemon juice will also work). It interacts with the proteins in the incredible, edible egg--a baker's trick that's been around for years.

May you eat with joy and (slightly) less guilt.

~ Cleo

ORDER UP!

To download this recipe in a
free PDF document that you can
print, save, or share, click here.

Click here for Cleo's
Free Recipe PDF.

Cleo Coyle's

Light Blueberry Blondies

Makes one 8-inch square pan of blondies
(Cut as you like, in my photos, you see 16 small squares)

INGREDIENTS

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (Do not omit! The vinegar
interacts with the eggs to create the proper texture.)

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup white, granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (grated rind of a lemon,
yellow only, no bitter white pith)

1/4 teaspoon table salt (+ a generous pinch)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled a bit

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup frozen (or fresh) blueberries

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1 - Prep oven and pan: Preheat oven to 325° F. Because this is a relatively low fat recipe and blueberries secrete juice as they bake, the best way to prevent sticking is to create a parchment paper sling for your 8-inch square pan (see my photo).

Step 2 – One bowl mixing method: Into a large mixing bowl, break 2 eggs, add the cider vinegar, and whisk well. Add the brown and white sugars, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and salt. Whisk until well blended. Add melted (and cooled!) butter and the baking soda. Whisk again until smooth. Now add the flour and switch to a spoon or spatula, stirring well. (Do not over-mix at this point.) Gently fold in the blueberries, trying not to smash or crush them.

Step 3 – Bake: Transfer batter to the prepared baking pan. Batter will be thick but loose enough to pour. Be sure to even it out in the pan. Bake in your well pre-heated 325° F oven for 30 to 40 minutes (exact time depends on your oven). The low temperature and long cooking time will promote more even baking. The pan of blondies is done when the top is deep golden brown and firmly set. The slight cracking that you see in my photos (the kind you usually find on the top surface of a brownie or blondie) will appear when the blondies are cooled and cut.

Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before gently lifting by the parchment paper handles. Cut into 16 small squares and...eat with joy!

F o o d i e

Photos