So Many Dishes

I love fish. I love the sweet flakiness of flounder and snapper. Cobia is the bomb. I’ve lost count of how many ways I’ve cooked salmon. I could go on.

I’ll admit, there are two things I don’t like about fish. I hate that fresh fish has gotten so much expensive. And I detest the lingering odor that often comes when I cook fish on the stovetop. As a result, I prefer recipes that bake the fish in the oven.

But there are exceptions, and this recipe is one of them. Easy fish piccata uses a standard Italian cooking style that is usually applied to veal or chicken. In fact, chicken piccata was always one of our kids’ favorites. Done with a thin white fish fillet, it’s fast and delicious. I made it once with yellowtail snapper fillets, and that was spectacular, but flounder is not far behind. That’s what I used last week.

This recipe is from The Mediterranean Dish, one of my favorite sources for recipes these days. The only change I made was to reduce the amount of olive oil. (Yes, I know that olive oil is a good fat, but too much of a good thing is still too much.) It calls for cooking in a cast iron skillet; I use a Lodge enameled cast iron pan, and it works perfectly. I also feel as if I’ve done my strength training, it’s that heavy 😉

Easy Fish Piccata

• 1 pound thin white fish fillets, such as flounder, halibut, or snapper
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 cup flour for dredging
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. butter, divided
• juice of two lemons
• 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp. capers, drained
• fresh parsley for garnish

Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Mix the oregano, paprika, and garlic powder and season the fish.

To dredge, coat the fish on both sides with the flour. Gently shake off excess flour.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Carefully add the fish and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until the fish is firm and flaky. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.

To the same pan, add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Lower the heat, and add the lemon juice, wine, and capers. Cook briefly over medium heat.

Return the fish to the pan and spoon the sauce over the fish. Give it just a few seconds to warm through in the sauce.

Garnish with parsley and serve immediately. We generally serve it over spaghetti. Serves 3 to 4.

Happy eating!