Rebekah and I first had this simple dish in Paris and have made this meal hundreds of times since then, because it highlights the finesse of a delicate fresh fish. And very often it was a fish that I might have caught the same day out on the ocean, near our home along Monterey Bay.

For us, this dish is a perfect example of the simple elegance of French cooking. Enjoy!

Ingredients…
 
1 1/2 pounds fresh fish filets, (Rockfish, Ling Cod, Red Snapper, Redfish, Skate, Halibut, Cod, Trout, Walleye, Swordfish and Salmon)

1 1/2 cups of white wine (we prefer Chardonnay with this dish)

1 lemon, squeezed, plus the zest from the same lemon

2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon capers

1 teaspoon salt (sprinkled on the fish) and black pepper to taste

3 to 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced or crushed (much more than I had in Paris, but we love garlic)

1/4 cup olive oil, extra virgin

2 cups cooked rice, we like Jasmine

1 pinch of fresh tarragon is sometimes fun to add if the fish is more rich or dense than usual.

Also, a bit of Rosemary, Tarragon or Herbs of Provence can be wonderful.

Cooking
 

Salt and pepper the fish filets on both sides. Place on a baking pan lined with a sheet of aluminum foil, which has all four sides folded up to form a shallow dish.
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In a 12 inch sauté pan add the olive oil and garlic, slowly heat until garlic is just sizzling and aromatic.

Add the white wine and simmer on low heat until reduced by half.

Turn the heat back to medium and slowly whisk in the butter. Heat until the butter is melted into the wine and then add the lemon juice. The fats from the butter will react with the acids from the lemon and form a creamy broth, it should take a minute or two.

Add the capers and zest to the reduced sauce and remove from heat.

Pour the sauce over the fish, making sure to lift the filets with wooden utensils so that the sauce is both below and on top. Place in the broiler and cook until the upper side is toasty at the edges then remove from heat. (You do not need to flip the fish if the filets are less than 3/4 inches thick.)
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Serve with rice and steamed broccoli, wild mushrooms or asparagus. Be sure to serve the filets with extra sauce for the rice.

We often use salmon for this recipe and like to add a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary on top just before broiling.