Description
Mediterranean-inspired crispy skin fish delights seafood enthusiasts with its golden, perfectly seared exterior and silky lemon butter sauce. Delicate yet robust flavors dance across palates, promising restaurant-quality elegance you can effortlessly recreate in your kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 skin-on fish fillets (salmon or sea bass)
Cooking Fat and Seasoning:
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Sauce and Garnish:
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, juiced (approximately 2 tablespoons or 30 milliliters)
- 1 tablespoon (3 grams) chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Thoroughly dry fish fillets using paper towels, ensuring surfaces are completely moisture-free for optimal crispiness.
- Season both sides of fish generously with salt and pepper, creating a flavorful exterior coating.
- Warm olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, reaching approximately 375°F for ideal searing temperature.
- Carefully place fish fillets skin-side down, pressing gently with a spatula to maximize skin contact with hot pan surface.
- Cook fish for 3-4 minutes without moving, allowing skin to develop a golden, crispy texture and release naturally from pan.
- Delicately flip fish using a thin spatula, cooking flesh side for an additional 2-3 minutes until fish becomes opaque and flakes easily.
- Transfer crispy fish to serving plates, maintaining skin’s crunchiness.
- Reduce skillet heat to medium and melt butter, adding minced garlic and sautéing briefly until aromatic.
- Pour fresh lemon juice into butter mixture, creating a quick pan sauce and scraping up any flavorful browned bits.
- Drizzle warm lemon butter sauce directly over crispy fish fillets and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley for bright, herbal finish.
Notes
- Choose firm white fish like halibut, cod, or sea bass for the best crispy skin texture.
- Ensure fish is completely dry before cooking to achieve maximum crispiness and prevent steaming.
- Allow fish to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking to promote even heat distribution.
- Use a heavy-bottomed non-stick skillet to prevent sticking and achieve uniform golden skin.
- Avoid moving fish while cooking skin-side down to create an uninterrupted crispy crust.
- Swap butter with olive oil for a dairy-free version of the sauce.
- Add capers or chopped herbs like dill for extra flavor complexity.
- Use gluten-free alternatives if preparing for sensitive diets.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
- Calories: 456
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg