RECIPE: Fish with Brown Butter, Capers and Lemon Cream

When I need an easy dinner, one of my standbys is this recipe, which is a riff on 'meuniere'.  I always have either cod, haddock, or salmon in the freezer so I use what I have.  You could also use shrimp, scallops, or chicken breasts.  I had several friends over once and made both chicken and fish, in two separate pans, so people could choose what they preferred.  I did the chicken in one pan, and cod and salmon in the other.

Fish with Brown Butter, Capers and Lemon Cream

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 6-oz pieces of skinless cod, haddock or salmon filets
  
• 4 T. flour (I use sprouted oat flour)
• 1 t. salt
• 1 T. ghee
• 4 T. butter
• 1 T. capers, chopped
  
• 1/4 c. heavy cream*
• 1-2 fresh organic lemons or limes 
• Pinch of espelette, aleppo, or cayenne pepper
  
• Optional: Chopped fresh dill for garnish
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

Scrub the lemon or lime, zest it, then squeeze the juice.  If you don't have 1 T. juice, do the other one.

Pat the fish dry and remove any bones.

Sprinkle the salt on the fish then dredge it lightly in the flour.  

In a small saute pan, melt 1 T. ghee over medium-high heat.  Add the fish in one layer and brown one side.  When it releases easily from the pan, flip and brown the other side. Remove to a plate.

Add the butter to the pan and stir until the milk solids brown, about 3-5 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with the cream, and add the capers, lemon juice and zest, and the hot pepper.  Return the fish to the pan, good side up, and simmer until it's cooked through.

Serve, with some of the sauce, and sprinkled the dill over all.