Pan-seared Cod with Lemon Caper Sauce (Paleo, Whole30)
This simple but restaurant-inspired dish will make for a fancy, buttery, flavorful dinner! The sauce is so versatile, you can use on any seafood or skinless fish you'd like.
Servings 2
Ingredients
- 2 6oz pieces of cod (or other skinless, white flakey fish)
- pinch sea salt
- pinch black pepper
- pinch dried rosemary, crushed
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp ghee
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup chicken or turkey bone broth or any broth/stock
- 2 Tbsp ghee (optionally use herbed ghee - recipe below)
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1-2 Tbsp capers
Herbed Compound Ghee (optional)
- 1/4 cup ghee
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 2 scallion stalks, cleaned and chopped
- 1 bunch basil
- other desired herbs (I used a pinch of fresh thyme and cilantro)
- pinch sea salt
- 1-2 tsp olive oil (as needed)
Instructions
Herbed Compound Ghee (optional)
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor and mix until you have a chunky mixture that's smooth. Only use the olive oil as needed (if your food processor isn't mixing well) - store in a small mason jar in the fridge and use!
Pan-seared fish & sauce
- Clean and dry pieces of fish (if it's wet, it will be stickier on the pan). Season with salt, pepper, rosemary and set aside.
- To a non-stick pan, add olive oil over medium heat. Once well heated, add your fish (presentation-side down), you should hear a sizzle. Add 1 Tbsp plain ghee and swirl it around. Let cook for approx. 6 minutes.
- Slide a spatula under fish carefully, it should not be sticking - if some sides are, try to find a way under to get the bulk of the fish flipped over. Cook for another 2-3 minutes depending on how thick the pieces are. Once done, set aside and keep warm.
- Next, deglaze the pan by lowering the heat a bit and adding minced garlic, stir around and don't let it burn. Quickly add the lemon juice, broth, and de-glaze the bottom of the pan (with any sticky bits) with a wooden spoon. Next, you can add the capers and season with sea salt and pepper.
- Now add more ghee (or the herbed compound ghee for extra flavor!), continue to stir here and there, for 3-5 minutes, this will help thicken up your sauce.
- Add your fish back to your pan, or simply plate the fish and pour the sauce over top. I like to add it back to the pan to warm it up again and spoon the sauce over top and bottom.
- Serve fish with all the sauce!