Sautéed Fish in Butter
Few main dishes can compete with fresh, beautifully prepared fish for taste, simplicity, health, and elegance. When
our daughters were very young, my husband and I started a tradition of having a meal alone once a week or once every
two weeks. Because there are no kosher restaurants within 150 miles of our home, we wanted to make this like a
"night out" but in our own home. The best way I could think of implementing the plan was to plan meals that would
feel and taste elegant but not take hours of preparation and cleanup. We put the girls in bed, set an elegant table
with candlelight, and proceded to open a good bottle of wine, heat some excellent bread, and quickly sauté a fresh piece of
fish. To complete the meal, I added some young asparagus or broccoli, a small salad, and a simple chocolate dessert.
Ingredients
- 1 pound salmon, dover sole, sand dabs, or other firm fish
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1 T. butter
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
This works very well with any firm fish, cut about 1/2 inch thick,
with or without skin and bones. The idea is to cook the fish to perfect
doneness without overcooking and without losing the moisture. If the fish
is very different in thickness, adjust the timing overall. Use the "Canadian"
timing method of about 10 minutes direct heat cooking time per inch of fish.
Wash fish well, and pat dry. Dredge with a mixture of flour, paprika, and
garlic. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large heavy skillet at medium high
heat. When the butter foams with a speck of flour added,
carefully lay the fish in the skillet.
Sauté the fish on one side until crispy and brown. Turn the fish, cook
for 1 minute and cover the skillet. Remove the skillet from the heat.
The residual heat in the pan will cook the other side of the fish
in about 5 minutes. Check the fish for doneness (see that it flakes with a
fork) before removing from pan.