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Want to add more fish to your diet? This simple spring white fish piccata is an excellent option. It’s healthy, light, and as easy as can be. The flavor is bright and lively – perfect for spring. All you need is lemon, capers, fresh parsley, white fish, a little flour for dusting, and a bit of olive oil or butter. Oh, and a little bit of white wine – which is perfect because you can drink the rest with your dinner!
Looking for more seafood recipes? Try my warm shrimp salad or drunken shellfish stew.
Notes on White Fish Piccata
I love this dish because it is quick as can be and only requires 1 pan. It is perfect for a week night dinner. Nothing fancy to master here – just make sure you pick a suitable fish. I also prefer organic lemons for this recipe (and any recipe that uses lemon zest). As with most simple recipes, ingredient quality makes a difference.
White Fish Selection:
This recipe requires white fish fillets. Specifically you will want a firm-fleshed mild white fish. I’ve made this with multiple types of white fish. My favorite option so far is petrale sole. I found this fish on sale at Whole Foods twice last month. I love the taste – it is very delicate. Plus the fillets were the perfect size for this cooking technique. Other fish that will generally work well include: snapper, pike, flounder, fluke, and tilapia. A key factor to consider is the thickness of the fish fillets. I look for thin smallish fillets for this recipe. They will cook quickly and evenly in the pan. If you are looking for a great reference on buying and cooking fish, check out Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking”>this book by Mark Bittman. You can also ask you fish monger what they would reccomend.
Suggested Serving and Pairing
In the spring, I often serve this recipe with asparagus. Steamed broccoli or a simple green salad would also pair well. Did you know you can steam asparagus in your microwave in just 3 minutes? Learn this supper easy cooking method from The Kitchn. Serve your dinner with a nice light and crisp white wine. My current favorite option for mild white fish is Txkolina – a very dry, acidic, and slightly effervescent white wine from the Basque region of Spain. It can be somewhat hard to find but our Whole Foods carries one called Ganeta.
Simple Spring White Fish Piccata
Description
Quick, light, and delicious!
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- flour for drudging (¼ to ½ cup)
- salt and pepper for seasoning
- 1 lb of thin white fish fillets (I prefer sole – snapper, pike, or tilapia also work well.)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- zest and juice of 1 large lemon
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in large sauté pan.
- Pat the fish dry. Season it with salt and pepper and then drudge it through the flour. When the oil is shimmering, add the fish and cook about 2 minutes. Gently flip the fish and cook 2 minutes more. It should be golden brown. Transfer the fish to a plate.
- Add the wine to the pan and scrape up any browned bits. Add capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cook for about a minute. Then add the butter and melt. Stir in the parsley.
- Plate the fish and spoon the sauce over each fillet. Garnish
