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RockfishMediumPan-Seared

Rockfish Piccata

Pan-seared rockfish fillets in a bright lemon-caper butter sauce with fresh parsley. Ready in under 25 minutes and tastes restaurant quality.

Prep: 10 min Cook: 15 min Total: 25 minServes
2

Ingredients

  • •2 rockfish fillets (6–8 oz each), skin on
  • •½ cup flour for dredging
  • •Salt and black pepper
  • •3 tbsp olive oil
  • •3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
  • •3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • •½ cup dry white wine
  • •½ cup chicken or fish stock
  • •3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • •3 tbsp capers, drained
  • •3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • •Lemon slices to garnish

Instructions

  1. 1Pat fillets dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Dredge lightly in flour, shaking off excess.
  2. 2Heat olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
  3. 3Add fish skin-side down and cook without moving for 3–4 minutes until skin is crispy.
  4. 4Flip and cook 2–3 more minutes until cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
  5. 5Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic to the same pan and cook 30 seconds.
  6. 6Add white wine and simmer until reduced by half, scraping up any browned bits.
  7. 7Add stock, lemon juice, and capers. Simmer 2 minutes.
  8. 8Remove from heat and whisk in remaining 2 tbsp cold butter to emulsify the sauce.
  9. 9Return fish to pan to warm through. Finish with parsley.
  10. 10Serve immediately with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Pro Tips

Starting the fish skin-side down in a hot pan gives you crispy skin which contrasts beautifully with the briny sauce. The cold butter swirled in at the end creates a glossy, restaurant-style pan sauce.

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