If you have the opportunity to get fresh fish – really fresh, amazing wild-caught fish – do it! Before we moved out to Oregon, the only non-grocery store fish I had was in very fancy, very spendy restaurants and it often wasn’t all that awesome, since it wasn’t all that fresh – it was hidden behind some pretty intense sauces.
Truly fresh fish is amazing – and doesn’t smell fishy at all (and the muscles are surprisingly firm before cooking). For this recipe, Susan picked up some hand-butchered, fresh-caught rockfish from the historic Chelsea Rose moored of of Newport’s historic bayfront. This is a super simple recipe that celebrates the fish! This recipe is for two servings.
Ingredients:
- 2 rockfish filets
- 1/2 C seasoned all-purpose flour (we season with salt, pepper and cayenne)
- 1 T EVOO
- 2 T butter
- 2 T lemon juice
- 1 t lemon zest
- 1 T chopped parsley
- 1 T finely chopped shallots
- 1/4 C dry white wine
- 2 servings cooled fettuccine (reserve 1/4 C cooking water)
Pat your filets dry and season with salt. Lightly dredge in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Get some heavily salted pasta water boiling and drop in your pasta. After about three minutes of cooking, start on the fish.
In a heavy bottomed frying pan (we don’t use non-stick for this), heat 1T EVOO and 1T butter until shimmering. Gently lower in your fish filets and cook for about 3 minutes. Use a fish spatula to turn (it will release when ready – if it still sticks give it another 30 seconds or so). Cook on the second side for another 2-3 minutes, until just done. Remove to a cooling grate set on a cookie sheet in the oven to keep warm.
Into the pan, add the white wine to deglaze, then lower the heat. Add in the lemon juice, zest, capers and the remaining 1T of butter and stir.
When the pasta is al dente, reserve the cooking liquid and drain the pasta. Add about 1/2 the reserved pasta water to your sauce and then drop in the pasta, stirring to combine. If it’s not quite saucy enough, add in the remaining pasta water and stir.
Plate the pasta and nestle your fish filets on top. Spoon over remaining sauce and capers and sprinkle with parsley and some fresh cracked pepper.
We serve our with a simple grilled medley of veggie kabobs, seasoned only with EVOO, salt and pepper. Such pure, clean flavors! Enjoy!
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