Sea Bass w/ Lemon Caper Sauce
This might be more accurately described as "Chilean sea bass with lemon caper shallot garlic butter sauce", but that would be way too long of a name. This dish is a bit of a personal experiment, and the result was absolutely delightful. Layers of fat from the sea bass and the butter are balanced by layers of acidity from the capers and lemon. The shallots and capers provide some much-needed textural contrast too. Chilean sea bass with butter seems a little weird (considering how much fat the fish already has), but it works remarkably well. A bit expensive but simple, easy, and delicious!
Active Time: 20 min
Total Time: 20 min
Ingredients
> chilean sea bass (two 8 oz filets)
> juice of 1 lemon
> butter (3-4 tbsp)
> capers (1.5 tbsp)
> shallot (1, diced)
> garlic (2 cloves, minced)
> (optional) parsley
> (optional) white wine
> salt, pepper, neutral oil
Instructions
1. If using skin-on fish, de-scale and score the skin side. Season fish generously with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Pan-sear fish over medium to medium-high heat (depending on the thickness of your fish) with a little bit of neutral oil. If using skin-on fish, cook mostly on the skin side. Cook until the thickest part of the fish reaches 120 F. Set aside.
3. Over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of butter in a saucepan and sweat diced shallots for 2-3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute. Add capers and cook for ~15 seconds. Add lemon juice and a splash of white wine. Reduce the heat to low and slowly add the remaining butter into the sauce, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking quickly. Once the butter is fully incorporated, remove from the heat. Season to taste.
4. Generously spoon sauce over fish filet, and optionally top with some chopped parsley. Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips:
> Any whitefish will work; chilean sea bass is my favorite but cod, sea bass, sole, and much more are all great options!
> This technique is somewhat similar to making a beurre blanc, but with much less butter and much more of other ingredients. The result is a much sharper, more acidic sauce. Butter on chilean sea bass seems weird, considering how much fat chilean sea bass already has, but the capers, lemon juice, and shallots really cut into that richness beautifully.
> If you want to keep the skin extra crispy, you could consider just spooning a circle of sauce on the plate and placing the fish on top of it.