Sea Bass With Butter And Caper Sauce

Prep time 10 min Cook time 10 min

I feel sorry for capers. They never get the recognition they deserve. Think about it. They can be used as a topping with sour cream on smoked salmon or a baked potato. They can be crushed and blended with parsley an cilatro to make a salsa verde. They can be added to pretty much any salad dressing you think of including of and they are often a main ingredient in sauces for both chicken (think chicken pizzaiola) and for fish like this one. For such a flexible player it deserve better. So let’s hear it for the little lemony, tangy champion that blends into a smooth white wine sauce to give a delicate lift to trout, sea bass, cod, halibut, sole, rock fish, sea bream and snapper.

What you need (for two)

1/4 cup all purpose flour
A couple of sea bass fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4cup dry white wine
1/4cup chicken broth ( packaged is best: a cube disolved in hot water would do)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoon capers, rinsed, drained
A little chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

What to do

For the fish

In a shallow dish, stir flour, salt and pepper. Coat fish pieces in flour mixture (reserve remaining flour mixture).

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Place coated fish in oil. Cook 4 to 5 minutes each side, until fish flakes easily with fork.

Remove from heat. Lift fish from skillet to serving platter with slotted spatula (do not discard drippings); keep warm.

For the sauce

Heat skillet (with drippings) and butter over medium heat. Once melted, remove from fire and stir in 1 tablespoon reserved flour mixture. Put the pan back on the fire and slowly stir in wine: cook about 30 seconds or until thickened and slightly reduced. Slowly stir in chicken broth and lemon juice; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Stir in capers

Serve sauce over fish; sprinkle with parsley.