The 4-Ingredient Julia Child Dinner That I Make On Repeat

There was a time in my life if someone handed me a piece of fish and asked me to cook it, I would have immediately handed it back to them. No way was I going to be responsible for the massacre that would’ve ensued. 

My fear of cooking fish was deep-rooted, and it began when I was young. I grew up in Indiana, where we ate pork, beef, and chicken, but not fish. The only time we really had fish was during Lent, when it was the only acceptable non-meat option my family dared to eat. But it was always flavorless, and the texture was tough, chewy, and dry. 

That all changed when I learned a simple cooking technique that even the least confident cook can handle—poaching. It’s something I learned from the fabulous Julia Child, whose recipe for Fish Fillets in White Wine Sauce became my trusted resource for this brilliantly easy method for cooking fish. 

Give Fish a Chance

It took some time to get past the idea of consuming fish as anything but fried sticks or patties, but it finally happened shortly after graduating from college. I majored in nutrition and, of course, learned how fantastic fish is for health. The breaded and fried stuff turned out probably wasn’t even fish, nor was it nutritious, so I had to do a little soul-searching. 

That’s how I discovered Julia Child’s cookbook, which opened my eyes to the possibilities of cooking fish in a way that I’d actually enjoy. After trying several of her recipes, which used a variety of techniques, I determined that poaching fish was the best approach. It was a hands-off method that provided flavor and prevented me from overcooking it, so that every bite was tender and moist. Pure magic!

If you’re not sure where to begin when it comes to poaching fish, I suggest starting with Child’s Fish Fillets in White Wine Sauce. The recipe only requires four ingredients and is ready in about 20 minutes. Most of the cooking takes place in the oven, so you can use that time to prepare any other foods you plan to enjoy with your meal.

How To Make Fish Fillets in White Wine Sauce

For six servings, you’ll need:

• 2 tablespoons finely minced shallot or green onions
• 2 1/2 pounds skinless and boneless sole or flounder fillets, cut into serving pieces
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 cups white wine and chicken or fish stock, mixed
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 10 to 12-inch ovenproof baking dish. Butter a piece of parchment or waxed paper large enough to cover the dish and set aside. Do not use aluminum foil; it will discolor the wine.

Sprinkle half the shallots or onions in the bottom of the dish. Season the fillets lightly with salt and pepper and arrange them in one slightly overlapping layer in the dish. If the fillets are thin, they can be folded in half to make triangles. Sprinkle the fillets with the remaining shallots or onions and dot with butter. Pour in the liquid so the fish is barely covered.

Bring almost to a simmer on top of the stove. Lay the buttered paper over the fish. Then, place the dish in the bottom third of the oven. Maintain the liquid almost at a simmer for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. The fish is done when a fork pierces the flesh easily. Do not overcook; the fish should not be dry and flaky.

If you’d like to serve it with a sauce, remove the fillets to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Return the dish to the stovetop and reduce the cooking liquid by about half to create a sauce to serve with the fish. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Tips for Making This Recipe

First, know your oven—some run hot and some run cold. You may need to adjust your settings to maintain the temperature for a gentle poach. Second, if your fillets are thin, they’ll need less time to cook than thicker pieces of fish, so start checking for doneness around 8 minutes.

Lastly, the recipe doesn’t exactly include a sauce (although you can reduce the poaching liquid on the stove if you’d like), so you need to add a little something to dress these up. You can keep it simple by finishing with some fresh citrus juice or cover the top with a quick gremolata made with lemon zest, parsley, and garlic.

I like to serve this dish with roasted potatoes or rice pilaf as well as some type of vegetable, like buttered French green beans or garlicky Brussels sprouts.