This simple but classic recipe for rockfish is sure to please most palates with its combination of lemon juice, capers, and fresh parsley swirled into a creamy butter sauce. Make from start to finish within 15 minutes.
If you need a quick, high protein and inexpensive meal, this recipe definitely checks all boxes. It does not use flour to coat fish, making it gluten free, and it can be made dairy free by using non-hydrogenated margarine.
Keep the meal low carb and serve with a dairy free salad such as fig and beet salad, rainbow salmon salad, or strawberry salmon salad.
Ingredients
These are the classic ingredients for searing fish or even chicken. What makes this recipe a little bit different is the combination of butter and olive oil and the healthy dose of capers that get chopped into a butter sauce.
- Rockfish - Rockfish are a small, firm filet white fish found in the Pacific Ocean.
- Substitute with snapper, trout, halibut, ling cod, or other mild white fish.
- Lemon - An unwaxed lemon is preferred to obtain the lemon zest with a microplane grater or very fine holes from a box grater.
- Capers - These come packed in water or salt. Rinse well, if they are packed with salt.
See recipe card for quantities.
What is rockfish?
- Rockfish are a group of over 100 species found mostly in the Pacific Ocean, known for their variety of sizes, colors, and markings.
- Their coloration ranges from bright reds, oranges, and yellows to more subdued blacks and grays, depending on the species.
- They have distinctive features such as large eyes, a jutting lower jaw, a large mouth, and spiny dorsal fins.
- They typically inhabit rocky reefs or seafloors and can be found both near the bottom (demersal) or schooling higher in the water.
- Rockfish are sometimes called “Pacific snapper” in markets, but they are not true snappers.
Instructions
Unlike a 'picatta' preparation, this recipe does not involve coating the fish in flour first, which helps thicken the lemon gravy pan sauce. However, the ingredients and technique are similar, sans the flour.
- Step 1: Saute the rockfish filets skin side up in a hot, preferably nonstick pan.
- Step 2: The filets are fairly thin, so it should take just about 3 minutes per side to cook.
- Step 3: In the same pan, fry the capers and swirl in cold butter.
- Step 4: Finish the sauce with parsley, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Hint: Use very cold butter. This swirls into the hot pan to make a smooth, creamy butter sauce, rather than a greasy, separated one.
The rockfish filets I've seen are typically around 6 oz each. Two filets will fit in a 10 inch saute pan. Cook the filets in batches of two or three, if you have more than two filets.
Best skillet for fish
I've used a nonstick skillet in this recipe because it heats up quickly to saute the fish and then cools down quickly so the butter sauce doesn't burn.
If you don't like nonstick surfaces, try these other options:
- Carbon steel - This very thin pan that becomes naturally nonstick as you use it, is similar to a wok. You can sear the fish in it, but do not add the lemon juice, since it will react with the surface. Squeeze on the lemon table side instead.
- Cast iron - This pan stays hot for a long time, so the butter can burn. Take care to cool down the pan before adding the butter.
- Stainless steel - Add more oil when sauteeing the fish as an insurance policy against sticking. Also, wait for the fish to naturally release from the pan. Don't force it, otherwise the filet will break apart.
Top Tips
- Roughly 1 lemon will give you ½ teaspoon of lemon zest. ½ a lemon will yield 1 Tb of lemon juice.
- I've tried this recipe with both fresh and previously frozen rockfish. Fresh fish is always a little bit juicier, but this sauce makes up for any deficiencies with the copious butter and lemon.
- Try this recipe with snapper, trout, ling cod, or halibut.
- If you have leftovers, make this creamy rockfish salad.
Recipe
Easy Sauteed Rockfish with Lemon Caper Butter
Ingredients
- 12 oz rockfish fillets or about 2 fillets
- salt to taste for me this is ⅓ teaspoon of pink salt
- 3 teaspoon olive oil (extra virgin or regular) separated into 2 teaspoon and 1 tsp
- 2 Tb capers roughly chopped
- 3 Tb butter, cold or non-hydrogenated margarine
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 Tb lemon juice
- 1 Tb chopped parsley
Optional Garnishes
- lemon wedges
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pat the rockfish filets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt.
- Heat a nonstick skillet to medium high heat. Pour in 2 teaspoon of olive oil. Lay the rockfish filets skin side up into the pan.
- Cook the rockfish for about 3 minutes per side until golden grown. Set filets aside onto a plate. Leave any residual olive oil in the pan.
- Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan over medium heat. Add the chopped capers and fry for about 30 seconds.
- Turn down the heat to low and swirl in the cold butter until melted. Turn off the heat and mix in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley.
- Pour sauce over the fish. Alternately, puf the fish filets back into the pan and reheat gently over medium heat.
- Serve garnished with lemon wedges and black pepper, if you wish.
Notes
- Roughly 1 lemon will give you ½ teaspoon of lemon zest. ½ a lemon will yield 1 Tb of lemon juice.
- I've tried this recipe with both fresh and previously frozen rockfish. Fresh fish is always a little bit juicier, but this sauce makes up for any deficiencies with the copious butter and lemon.
- Try this recipe with snapper, trout, ling cod, or halibut.
Nutrition
Fortune Cookie
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George Halas - founder and coach of the Chicago Bears
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