Pairs well with Perfect Pan-Seared Fish with Lemon Caper Butter Sauce
Show only recipes from United States
Perfect Pan-Seared Fish with Lemon Caper Butter Sauce
190.4K views • 18d ago
15.9K
688
8.3% engagement
A simple and elegant recipe for cooking a perfect piece of fish with crispy skin, finished with a tangy and buttery lemon caper sauce.
00:10:00 total
Serves 1
medium
Main Various
🍯
🧂
🍋
🍫
🌶️
🍄
👅
Ingredients
- mutton snapper fillet - 1 piece (skin on, about 1/2 inch (2 cm) thick)
- salt - to taste (generous amount, especially on skin side)
- clarified butter - 2 tablespoons (for initial cooking to avoid burning)
- unsalted butter - 3 tablespoons (for finishing sauce and basting)
- capers - 1 tablespoon (with some brine for sauce)
- fresh lemon juice - 1 tablespoon (for sauce acidity)
- lemon zest - 1 teaspoon (freshly grated for sauce and garnish)
- lemon segments - from 1 lemon (membrane removed for garnish and sauce)
- fresh parsley - 1 tablespoon (chopped, for garnish)
- cracked black pepper - to taste (to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare the Fish: Pat the fish fillet very dry with paper towels to remove all moisture. This is crucial for achieving crispy skin.
- Season the Fish: Generously salt both sides of the fish, with a little more salt on the skin side to enhance crispiness.
- Heat the Pan: Heat a non-stick pan over medium to medium-high heat until about 300°F (150°C). Use clarified butter to prevent burning.
- Cook the Skin Side: Place the fish skin side down in the pan, pressing gently to prevent the skin from curling. Cook undisturbed to develop a crispy skin.
- Flip and Continue Cooking: Flip the fish carefully once the skin is crispy. Lower the heat slightly and begin basting the fish with hot clarified butter.
- Prepare Lemon Segments: While fish cooks, remove the white pith from the lemon and cut out the segments by slicing along the membranes. Remove seeds.
- Finish Cooking and Make Sauce: When fish is nearly cooked (internal temperature around 115°F/46°C), replace clarified butter with regular unsalted butter in the pan. Add capers, lemon juice, lemon zest, cracked pepper, and parsley. Baste the fish with this lemon caper butter sauce.
- Serve: Remove fish from pan before it overcooks (it will continue cooking off heat). Plate the fish, spoon the sauce around it, garnish with lemon segments and parsley, and serve immediately.
