White Fish in Lemon Butter Caper Sauce

A delicious white fish needs a fantastic sauce, and what goes better with fish than lemons and butter? Nothing! This is basically a piccata sauce from the famous chicken piccata dish. It is the perfect combination of buttery, citrusy, and briney, perfect to go with fish.

Ingredients and Substitutions:

• White fish – the best fish for this recipe are cod, sea bass, branzino, halibut, and any white flakey fish. Make sure the fillets are 4-6 oz.
• Whole butter – this is a butter emulsion sauce, so you really cannot leave it out!
• Fish stock – you can also use chicken stock if you cannot find fish, however fish stock will compliment the protein better.
• Lemons quartered – I use whole lemons here, including the rind, which can be bitter. If you don’t like bitter flavor, use the juice of one lemon instead.

Tips for Making:

• Make sure the fish is very dry after seasoning and coating in flour, or it may stick to the pan.
• Use the mercury ball water test to make sure the pan is hot enough to add oil to the pan, then add the fish once the oil is barely smoking to make sure the fish won’t stick to the pan.
• Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor. In this recipe I quarter a lemon and cut into triangle and add that to the sauce for extra flavor and texture.
• Be sure to drain the capers before adding them to the pan, they will be VERY salty otherwise.
• Use cold butter in the sauce so it properly emulsifies

Ingredients:

• 4-6 oz fish filets, I cooked four here, but cook as many you need, 1 per person
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup gluten free flour, I love Bob’s Redmill
• Avocado oil
• 4 tbsp butter, diced and cold
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 lemon, halved, quartered and thinly sliced into triangles
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tbsp capers
• parsley, minced for garnish

Preparation:

STEP 1.

Prepare the fish. Season on both sides with salt and pepper and pat dry with a paper towel. Coat in flour on all sides.

STEP 2.

In a stainless steel pan over medium heat, add avocado oil. Once hot, pan sear the fish, working in batches to not overcrowd the pan. Sear 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.

STEP 3.

In the same pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of butter. Add the shallots and sliced lemon and saute until translucent, salting as you go, around 3-5 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute another 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, scraping up any brown bits off the bottom of the pan, and bring up to a simmer. Reduce by half.

STEP 4.

Once the stock is thickened, turn the heat to low and stir in the capers and remaining cold butter to emulsify and make creamy. Once it is incorporated and thickened, serve over the fish and top with parsley.