Meuniere is a French cooking method and sauce for delicate fish, in which the fish is dusted with flour, pan-fried in butter until golden, and finished with a sauce of the browned butter, lemon juice, and chopped parsley. The name means "miller's wife" in French, tied to a rustic origin story in which sole was simply floured and fried in butter left over from milling.
Meuniere is closely associated with sole (sole meuniere), traditionally credited to Normandy, but the technique also works well with trout, tilapia, cod, or shrimp, and has been adapted for chicken, veal, and vegetables like mushrooms and zucchini. It is not one of the five classic French mother sauces (bechamel, veloute, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomate); it is better understood as a quick pan sauce built directly from browned butter, distinct from a mother sauce, which is meant as a base for further derivative sauces.
Meuniere dishes are usually served simply, with lemon wedges, steamed vegetables, or a light salad, letting the butter sauce and the fish's natural flavor lead.