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Duration
30 minutes
Serves
4
Chef’s notes
Knowing how to properly sauté fish is something that every cook needs to have in their arsenal. It’s a quick way to cook practically any fish, and with practice, you can perfect the technique so that you get a beautiful golden crust and juicy fillet. This is a really simple recipe that allows fresh-caught fish to shine. Add a spoonful of the garlicky lemon compound butter basted over the top to impart flavor and a lot of succulence!
Ingredients
- 4 (½” - 1” thick) mild white-fleshed fish filets, such as redfish, snapper, catfish, or rockfish
- Coarse sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
- Neutral flavored oil, such as avocado, grapeseed, or canola
- ¼ cup lemon-garlic compound butter (recipe below)
Lemon-Garlic Compound Butter
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, chopped
- 3 small garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
Also works with
Any white-fleshed fish
Preparation
- Remove the fish from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Lay two fish fillets down into the pan with the outside of the fillet facing down (the side where the skin would have been). Cook undisturbed until the fish is about 75% cooked through. Check the sides of the fish—if the flesh is opaque about three-quarters of the way, then it’s ready to flip. The fish should have a golden crust and lift freely from the pan. It will take about 3 to 5 minute, depending on the size of the fish.
- After flipping, drop 2 tablespoons of butter into the pan. Once the butter is foamy, tilt the pan to the side and use a spoon to baste the top of the fish. Continue basting and cook for another few minutes, or until the fish is cooked all the way through. It should flake apart gently when pricked with a fork.
- Remove, wipe the pan clean, and repeat this process with the remaining two fish fillets.
Lemon-Garlic Compound Butter
- In a skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a couple of minutes to soften the pungency of the garlic and infuse the butter. Don’t let the milk solids toast; reduce the heat to low if needed.
- Turn off heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley.
- Remove from the heat and transfer to a small glass container to cool, then refrigerate to set. Before using, stir the butter to re-emulsify. Store the butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.
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Reviews
Chef’s notes
Knowing how to properly sauté fish is something that every cook needs to have in their arsenal. It’s a quick way to cook practically any fish, and with practice, you can perfect the technique so that you get a beautiful golden crust and juicy fillet. This is a really simple recipe that allows fresh-caught fish to shine. Add a spoonful of the garlicky lemon compound butter basted over the top to impart flavor and a lot of succulence!
Ingredients
- 4 (½” - 1” thick) mild white-fleshed fish filets, such as redfish, snapper, catfish, or rockfish
- Coarse sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
- Neutral flavored oil, such as avocado, grapeseed, or canola
- ¼ cup lemon-garlic compound butter (recipe below)
Lemon-Garlic Compound Butter
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, chopped
- 3 small garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
Also works with
Any white-fleshed fish
Preparation
- Remove the fish from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Lay two fish fillets down into the pan with the outside of the fillet facing down (the side where the skin would have been). Cook undisturbed until the fish is about 75% cooked through. Check the sides of the fish—if the flesh is opaque about three-quarters of the way, then it’s ready to flip. The fish should have a golden crust and lift freely from the pan. It will take about 3 to 5 minute, depending on the size of the fish.
- After flipping, drop 2 tablespoons of butter into the pan. Once the butter is foamy, tilt the pan to the side and use a spoon to baste the top of the fish. Continue basting and cook for another few minutes, or until the fish is cooked all the way through. It should flake apart gently when pricked with a fork.
- Remove, wipe the pan clean, and repeat this process with the remaining two fish fillets.
Lemon-Garlic Compound Butter
- In a skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a couple of minutes to soften the pungency of the garlic and infuse the butter. Don’t let the milk solids toast; reduce the heat to low if needed.
- Turn off heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley.
- Remove from the heat and transfer to a small glass container to cool, then refrigerate to set. Before using, stir the butter to re-emulsify. Store the butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.