When fishing in the Salish Sea, one is most likely to catch rockfish a plenty. Serve your catch with this sauce and your rockfish will seem anything but common, in fact, it will become splendidly illustrious. The sauce in this recipe is so simple to prepare, but with its’ syrupy texture and complex, piquant flavor it is most luxurious on the palate.
Our fishing crew has found that rockfish (also known as rock cod) are very attracted to “buzz bombs” (available in tackle shops). There are about 70 different varieties of rockfish in the west coast waters. The skin of this fish is rough and scratchy. The flesh is firm, delicate and lean. When cooked, the fish provides large, meaty flakes. Atalantic Red Snapper is a similar fish and would also work well in this recipe.
Ingredients
serves 4
2 fillets of rockfish, skin on, about 2 pounds of meat
3 tablespoons butter
Juice of 2 lemons
1 cup white wine
Salt and pepper
Preparation
Heat butter over medium high heat. Salt and pepper rockfish to taste. When butter is bubbly, lay fillets in butter, flesh side down. Allow to brown (3- 5 minutes).
Flip over fillets, allow the skin side to crisp in the butter (about 3 minutes). Remove when done. Flesh should be flaky. Cover to keep warm.
Pour lemon juice and wine into the butter and gently scrape up any brown bits from the fish (leaving them in the sauce).
Stir sauce occasionally with a wooden spoon, and watch it closely. Continue to cook until it is thick, golden brown and syrupy. The spoon should leave a track in the sauce when it is finished.
Spoon sauce over fish, garnish with lemon slices and serve. We’ve also garnished our platter with a side of Pimientos De Padrón (see photo above).
To learn more about buzz bombs and order on-line, click here.
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