Lemon butter sauce is one of the simplest sauces there is. It’s typically served with white fish or seafood. Chef Joyce adds flavour to the fish fillet by marinating before it is pan fried. If you would like to prepare restaurant-standard dishes at home then this dish is a simple way to start. Chef Joyce’s offers these tips for buying and preparing Red Snapper or any other line fish: “All line fish are caught with lines from boats rather than by trawler nets. When buying any fish, look for clear, shiny eyes that are not sunken. The scales should be firm, not soft and shiny. It should smell like the ocean and not ‘fishy’. Look for gills that are pinky/red. The meat should not separate from itself. After filleting the fish should have clear veins.”
Serves 2
For the pan-fried fish you will need:
- 2 x 200g Red Snapper fillet
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp white wine
- 1 tbsp olive oil plus extra for pan-frying
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ginger
- ¼ – ½ tsp finely chopped fresh chilli
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley
- salt
- black pepper
For the lemon butter sauce you will need:
- 1 tbsp minced shallot or onion
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 tbsp cold butter, cut into chunks
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley
- salt
- black pepper
What to do:
- In a bowl, whisk together lemon juice, white wine, olive oil, turmeric, ginger, chilli, parsley, salt and black pepper to
- make the marinade.
- Marinate fish fillets for 15 minutes.
- In a large frying pan, heat some olive oil. Add the fish to the pan, pan-fry for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
- For lemon butter sauce: melt the butter in a small pan on medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook them until the shallots are tender and start to turn golden.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine and then add the lemon juice and parsley.
- Boil on high heat and reduce the liquid to half the amount.
- Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter. The sauce will become thick and velvety.
- Drizzle some lemon butter sauce on each plate. Top with fish and drizzle more sauce on top.
- Serve with sautéed vegetables and potatoes.Jahazi Restaurant, Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel
