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fish fillets with brown butter (pan-fried)

(3 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Cosette Khoryati
Beirut

This is one of my favorite fish dishes. Quick, simple, and delicious.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

This fish dinner tastes indulgent, but it's easy to prepare and not as heavy as it sounds. Cod has a mild, non-fishy taste. Even a picky eater will love this. The light cod is pan-fried until crispy. We loved the brown butter sauce that's poured over the cod. It's slightly nutty and has a hint of lemon. We will definitely be making this again!

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(3 ratings)
yield 2 serving(s)
prep time 10 Min
cook time 15 Min
method Pan Fry

Ingredients For fish fillets with brown butter (pan-fried)

  • 2
    fish fillets (I like white fish for this recipe like cod but any fish would work)
  • 4 Tbsp
    butter
  • 2 Tbsp
    olive oil (sunflower or canola oil)
  • 1/2 c
    all-purpose flour
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbsp
    lemon juice
  • thyme or oregano (I prefer dried)

How To Make fish fillets with brown butter (pan-fried)

  • Seasoning the fish.
    1
    Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper.
  • Dredging the cod in flour.
    2
    Lightly dredge fish in flour and shake off excess. (I like to season the flour with salt and pepper as well.)
  • Olive oil and butter added to a skillet.
    3
    When pan is hot, add olive oil followed immediately by 1-2 tablespoons butter.
  • Fish added to the skillet.
    4
    When butter is melted, place fish in the pan and jiggle pan for the first 10 seconds to keep the fish from sticking.
  • Continuing to cook until a crust forms.
    5
    Cook until golden crust forms on meat.
  • Frying the other side of the fish.
    6
    Carefully turn fish on the other side and again jiggle pan for the first few seconds.
  • Golden brown skin.
    7
    Cook until skin turns golden brown.
  • Fried fish on a plate.
    8
    Remove to a warm plate.
  • Browning remaining butter in the skillet.
    9
    Pour out the cooking fat from the pan. Then put the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.
  • Continuing to brown the butter.
    10
    Melt them until they become hazel color.
  • Adding lemon juice to the melted butter.
    11
    Turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice and few leaves of thyme or oregano. (you can leave the herbs out)
  • Pouring brown butter sauce over the fish.
    12
    Pour the brown butter sauce over the fish fillets and serve.
  • 13
    *Make sure you pat dry the fillets before working with them. *The cooking time of the fish depends on the thickness of the fillets. *It's better not to cover the fish while frying them so they won't become soggy from the trapped steam.
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