Recipe

Fish in Herbed White Wine and Caper Sauce

Recipe Information

Total Time: 

35 minutes

Servings: 

4

In the classic French tradition, you will build this flavorful sauce in the pan by first reducing wine and lemon, then using it to deglaze the browned bits of fish. Whisking in butter forms an emulsified sauce that is best eaten immediately—which is easy to do, since the sauce is so incredibly delicious!

Ingredients

  • 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1/4 cup capers, rinsed and dried
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 4 6-ounce walleye (or other lean, white fish) filets

Preparation

  1. In a one-quart pot, combine the shallots, wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Boil until liquid reduces to 1/4 cup, approximately 7-10 minutes.
  2. Chop the butter into small pieces, reserving 2 tablespoons to cook the fish.
  3. When the liquids are reduced, take the pot off the heat and stir in 4 tablespoons of butter, the capers, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, thyme and oregano. Let stand on the stove to keep warm, stirring occasionally to keep the sauce emulsified.
  4. In a large saute pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Sprinkle the remaining salt on the fish filets and place them skin side up in the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side, then carefully turn the fish. Cook until the fish is cooked through, about 4-6 minutes more. Move the fish around to keep it from sticking to the pan, reduce the heat if the pan starts to burn.
  5. Transfer the cooked fish to a serving platter or plates. Immediately pour the sauce into the hot saute pan, scraping up the browned bits; it will bubble up quickly, keep stirring until the pan drippings have been dissolved. Pour sauce over the fish and serve.

Serving Suggestion

This dish is wonderfully rich, so a side of spinach salad or steamed green beans would be perfect. Toasted baguette or rice to sop up the sauce would be great, too.

Nutritional Information

371 calories, 20 g. fat, 192 mg. cholesterol, 1108 mg. sodium, 5 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. fiber, 33 g. protein