Fish Meuniere With Capers

Submitted by IngridH

"This is from the America's Test Kitchen Cookbook, 2006 edition. This kind of made me think of chicken piccata, only made with fish. Use a flatfish, like sole or flounder for best results."

 

• Ready In: 20mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 sole fillets or 4 flounder fillets, 3/8 inch thick, patted dry
• salt
• pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

directions

1. For the fish: Set oven to 200 degrees, and place a heatproof plate in the oven.
2. Place flour in a baking dish. Season dry fish fillets with salt and pepper, set aside for 5 minutes or until moisture shows on the surface.
3. Coat fish with flour, shake off any excess, and set aside on a baking sheet.
4. In a large (12 inch) non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat until shimmering.
5. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add two fillets skin side up, to the skillet, and reduce heat to medium high. Cook the fish without distubing it, about 3 minutes, or until the edges are opaque and the bottom is golden.
6. Carefully flip the fish (you may need two spatulas to do this without breaking it), and continue to cook for another two minutes or until the thickest part flakes when a toothpick is inserted.
7. Transfer the fish to the oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining fillets.
8. Wipe the pan clean, and repeat steps 6 through 11 with the other two fillets.
9. For the browned butter: Heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a stainless steel skillet over medium high heat until the butter melts.
10. Continue to cook, swirling the pan, until the butter is golden brown and smells nutty, about 1 - 1 1/2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
11. To serve: Remove fish from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Add the lemon juice and capers to the browned butter, swirl to combine. Taste butter sauce, add salt or pepper to taste. Spoon the butter sauce over the fish, and serve immediately.

Reviews

[ellie_]

Very good! I used sole but my pieces were quite a bit thinner than called for in the recipe - still came out wonderful -- thanks for sharing!

 

[breezermom]

I made this exactly as posted, and this turned out delicious! I halved the recipe, and was really tempted to cut the butter for the portion I made. But I'm so glad I didn't. Absolutely wonderful! Thanks for sharing, IngridH!

 

[2Bleu]

This recipe made it into our Book #242923! 11/19/09 - This was super good and really does taste like a fish picatta! (I used cod fish). I did add some white wine and minced garlic to the sauce, but otherwise made as directed. This is a nice quick and upscale dish that was perfect for our lunch today. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. :)

 

[BakinBaby]

Made just as directed and it was delish. I forgot to flour the fish, so it didn't brown up just right, but the taste was still there. Made for 123 tag, and glad I did, this one will go straight to the seafood keeper file. Thanks!

 

[duonyte]

I love capers and this recipe was good. I used swai fillets, as that was what I had, and they worked well in this recipe. Served with couscous and a green salad.