Description
This fish piccata is the perfect dish for a weeknight meal or a weekend lunch.
Ingredients
- 4 pieces (about a pound and a half) haddock, cod, scrod, flounder, halibut, swordfish, or other white-fleshed fish filets
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup rice flour or other flour, for dredging, plus more
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup white wine, or chicken stock if avoiding wine
- 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons drained capers
To serve:
- Chopped parsley
- 1 ½ – 2 cups cooked white rice
For the Greens:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, sliced
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon tamari or soy
- 1-2 anchovies (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200F. Place a tray or plate in the oven to keep it warm.
- Place flour on a plate and season fish pieces on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge the fish in the flour, shaking off any excess. Set dredged fish pieces aside. There will be flour left over.
- In a large ceramic or nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add fish in batches, taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook fish on one side for 3-4 minutes, until well-browned and almost cooked through. Flip the fish to brown the other side, cooking 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on the thickness of the fish.
- If you have any burnt bits, wipe out the pan with a paper towel, otherwise continue and repeat for remaining fish with new oil. Depending on the thickness of the fish, the cook time might differ. A thicker piece of fish might need to cook for 4 minutes per side but a thinner piece might not need more than two minutes per side. You’ll know that the fish is cooked through once it is opaque in color, golden brown and firm to the touch. Place cooked fish filets on a sheet pan and transfer to the oven to keep warm.
- In another pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic slices and cook for 30 seconds. If using anchovies, add them to the pan with the garlic and break them up with a wooden spoon so they melt into the oil. Barely wilt the spinach for about 30 seconds then add the tamari or soy and toss. Set aside.
- For the sauce, remove any burnt bits from the pan you cooked the fish in, if needed, and add the wine and the capers.
- Reduce the liquid by half, about 2-3 minutes. Add butter, one cube at a time, whisking to emulsify the sauce. Once all the butter has been added, add lemon juice and season with salt to taste.
- Make a slurry by mixing 2 teaspoons rice flour and 1 tablespoon water until well-combined. Whisk or stir it to the sauce and cook for a couple of minutes to thicken. If you want a thicker sauce, repeat this step until you get to the consistency you like.
- To serve, place the fish on a serving platter over a bed of rice and pour the sauce over everything. Garnish with parsley and serve with the spinach alongside.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 335
- Sugar: 0.3 g
- Sodium: 473.9 mg
- Fat: 24.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.8 g
- Protein: 6.2 g
- Cholesterol: 61.1 mg