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Pan-Seared Tilefish With Garlic, Herbs and Lemon

5.0(337)

All cooks needs a basic sautéed fish fillet recipe in their repertory, and this one could not be much simpler. It does require a step that may intimidate on first glance: you baste the fish with the fat you’re cooking it in. Don’t worry. Just use a good amount of fat in the pan, about a tablespoon per person (you could get away with a little less if you insist, or use half white wine and half fat). Basting helps cook the fish evenly and keeps it and moist. In this recipe, the fat is butter. As the fish cooks, the butter browns, taking on a nutty scent that is classic with seafood. Tilefish is specified but any firm fillet will do, from sea bass to grouper.

by Melissa Clark

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Dinner, Easy, Quick, Main Course

Servings

2 servings

Total time

15 min

Calories / serving

349 kcal

Ingredients (9)

serves

2 skinless tilefish or other sturdy, thick white fish fillets (about 7 to 8 ounces each), skins removed
Kosher salt, to tastesalt
Black pepper, to tastepepper
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butterbutter
3 green garlic shoots or scallions, thinly slicedscallion
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped chives, mint, lovage and/or sorrelchive
1 tablespoon minced lemon thyme or regular leaveslemon
2 teaspoons finely chopped tarragon, basil or marjoramtarragon
Juice of 1/2 lemonlemon

Instructions (5 steps)

01Remove any remaining pin bones in the fish, pat dry, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
02In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter. Once butter has begun to foam, lay fish in pan. Add green garlic or scallions and a pinch of salt. Without disturbing the fish, tilt the pan toward you; using a spoon, ladle green garlic butter over fish. Continue basting fish for 2 to 3 minutes.
03

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Rich recipe — supports nutrition-aware planning.