This Lemon Butter Sauce for fish is outrageous β 3 minutes, 2 ingredients, totally restaurant worthy.
The secret is browned butter β calledΒ Beurre noisetteΒ in French. Learn how to pronounce it so you can loftily tell your family and friends βweβre having French tonight!β (But donβt tell them how simple it is?)
Restaurant-style Lemon Butter Sauce for Fish!
Great quality fish is not cheap. But worthy of investment because:
itβs good for you;
a beautiful piece of fish requires very little done to it to make a meal that youβd pay serious $ for at a fancy seafood restaurant; and
theyβre quick to cook.
And so I present to you, your new favourite posh-yet-easy-and-super-quick way with fish: Pan fried until golden then drizzled with a 3 minute Lemon Butter Sauce that youβre going to go nuts over.
The Lemon Butter Sauce
The Lemon Butter Sauce is just made with butter and lemon.Β But itβs not βjustβ butter and lemon.
ItβsΒ brown butter and lemon.
If youβre new to brown butter, this is going to change your world β itβs addictive. Brown butter is everything you love about melted butter, boosted with an incredible nutty, toasty aroma.
The French call itΒ Beurre noisette.Β The literal translation is βhazelnut butterβ, and even though hazelnuts donβt come into the equation at all, we get it. π
How to make Lemon Butter Sauce
3 minutes, 3 steps, 2 ingredients:
Melt butter;
Leave until the butter turnsΒ brown and the smell suddenly changes and becomes nutty β about 3 minutes;
Stir through lemon juice.
The recipe video is helpful if youβre a first timer to browned butter β especially the pre and post comparison.
Quick Tips
While brown butter is simple to make, if itβs on too high a heat, it can go from nutty perfection to burnt in seconds. So here are a few quick tips:
Use a silver based small skillet or pot so you can see when the butter changes colour;
Make the Lemon Butter Sauce before the fish so you can concentrate on getting it right. It stays warm for up to 30 minutes β but if you are delayed and it solidifies, it only takes 10 seconds in the microwave to melt it back to its original state; and
Donβt try to make the Lemon Butter Sauce in the same skillet as the fish β the pan will be too large.
Use sparingly β itβs rich!
And you donβt need much β this stuff is rich!Β The recipe makes slightly more than you need because running out of sauce in the middle of dinner is dismal, but in all honesty, my standard serving is 1 tablespoon of Sauce per fillet of fish.
It looks a lot browner in the bowl than it does when you drizzle it over the fish. Which is actually perfect β itβs a bright yellow Lemon colour once drizzled. π If it was just plain melted butter, you wouldnβt have that same intense deep yellow colour that you see on the plate β nor would it pool on the plate like in the photo below.
The fish fillet is pictured in this post withΒ the Kale and Quinoa Salad I published on Monday. π Keeps forΒ daysΒ in the fridge, my friends! Donβt think of it as a trendy βhealth foodβ salad. Itβs just a darn tastyΒ filling salad that just happens to star 2 superfoods. Tested and proven!
Here are a few more ideas for things to serve this fish with:
Mashed potato or mashed cauliflower (for a low carb option)
For a true indulgent restaurant experience, try Paris MashΒ β the richest, creamiest mashed potato in the world
Curried Basmati Rice β this aromatic pilaf would be terrific paired with the fresh fish flavour
A garden salad or leafy greens with French Vinaigrette or Italian Dressing
Broccoli Salad or Magic Broccoli (the best roasted broccoli ever!)
And more fish recipes!
Honey Garlic SalmonΒ andΒ Lemon Honey Glazed SalmonΒ βΒ super quick!
See all Fish recipes
Hope you enjoy! β Nagi x
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Lemon Butter Sauce for Fish
Ingredients
Lemon Butter Sauce:
- 60 g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter , cut into pieces
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt and finely ground pepper
Crispy Pan Fried Fish:
- 2 x thin white fish fillets (120-150g / 4-5oz each), skinless boneless (I used Bream, Note 1)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp white flour
- 2 tbsp oil (I use canola)
Serving:
- Lemon wedges
- Finely chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
Lemon Butter Sauce (see video):
- Place the butter in a light coloured saucepan or small skillet over medium heat.
- Melt butter then leave on the stove, whisking / stirring very now and then. When the butter turns golden brown and it smells nutty β about 3 minutes, remove from stove immediately and pour into small bowl. (Note 2)
- Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir then taste when it has cooled slightly. Adjust lemon/salt to taste.
- Set aside β it will stay pourable for 20 β 30 minutes. See Note 3 for storing.
Crispy Pan Fried Fish:
- Pat fish dry using paper towels. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, then flour. Use fingers to spread flour. Turn and repeat. Shake excess flour off well, slapping between hands if necessary.
- Heat oil in a non stick skillet over high heat. When the oil is shimmering and there are faint wisps of smoke, add fish. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes until golden and crispy on the edges, then turn and cook the other side for 1 1/2 minutes (cook longer if you have thicker fillets).
- Remove immediately onto serving plates. Drizzle each with about 1 tbsp of Sauce (avoid dark specks settled at the bottom of the bowl), garnish with parsley and serve with lemon on the side. Pictured in post with Kale and Quinoa Salad.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZERΒ
3 hours ago: as usual, refusing to get out of the car knowing what lies ahead β a hose down.
I had this a couple days ago and it was good but Iβm still alive. Pretty disappointing.
Absolutely amazing recipe, easy and well explained and the fish and sauce was a super hit! Thank you
Wonderfully simple. Amazingly delicious.
Hi Nagi, I am wondering if you could make the brown butter sauce and use it in a packet of fish and veggies covered and cooked in foil or would it burn the brown butter? I have some recipes for cooking fish in a packet in the oven and thought this might be a great addition. I guess if there is a chance that it could burn since it is browned butter, then I could just add to the packet when it comes out of the oven. It wouldnβt be the same as cooking in it but I think it would be delicious any way you can use itβ¦lol! Thanks for your super recipes!!
Thank you for your attention to detail. I do have a lot of experience in the kitchen, but I like that you did step-by-step instructions, like patting the fish dry before dredging in flour (and then shaking off excess flour). And heating the pan before adding the oil to it. I especially liked where you said that the fish would not stick if you wait for it to unstick itselfβtotally right! Husband and I loved this recipe and will make again. We made it with fresh-caught speckled trout from the Gulf of Mexico! Thanks! We plan to try more of your recipes!
Great recipe and super easy. I made whiting in the oven, seasoned lightly with cajun seasoning. Added a little coriander and black pepper in the sauce which was good, but was also good without.
This sauce is killer with pulpo tooβ¦.I was trying to think of something that would juice up my husbands love of rice with every mealβ¦.worked like a dream and didnt kill the flavor of the pulpo eitherβ¦.another great hit from Dozerβs mom!!!
Big hit! Even my Mom was impressed and thatβs hard to do :). Thank you !
WOOT! Sounds like you nailed it Yvette! N x
Butter lemon sauce: Make sure the lemon gets STIRRED IN AT THE END. I put at the beginning; now I have a burned lemon butter sauce disaster.
Hi Richard, sorry you had issues here but yes, thatβs right, the sauce is set aside while you cook the fish β as per the directions in the recipe π N x
First time ever leaving a comment on a recipe . This is my favorite new way to make fish, my mom loved it. Used it with flounder and melted the butter by color. Yum making some more today.
Iβm so glad you loved it Michelle, thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! N x
This was excellent! My husband says he thinks itβs his favorite way to eat fish from now on. I didnβt time the butter, instead I went by color and smell. Saving this recipe.
What specific fish did you use for this recipe?
Hi Angelica, as noted in the recipe, I used bream β but nay thin white fish fillets would work here. N x
My butter sauce didnβt turn out too wellβ¦.first, I only had salted butter (figured I wouldnβt add salt at the end). It immediately foamed up and was hard to watch the mixture. I let it go 3 min and took off. After I put the very dark liquid in a bowl and added lemon juice, it was like a chemical reactionβ¦..foaming and spitting fiercely. After, it was very bitter.
Was it the butter? Something else? Iβll try again with the correct butter.
Sounds like your pan was too hot
wonderful wonderfulβ¦. and the instructions were great also.
Can you broil the fish instead of on the stove?
Hi DW, you sure could, Iβd spray it with oil and then broil until cooked through. N x
That was the most incredible fish i have ever eaten !! Along with your Pad Thia which was also out of this world My family and i have sworn to try one of your recipes every week
You are my new cooking guru. I have tried several of your recipes now and all have been fabulous. Thank you x
I am older than dirst, but started cooking at 17 and never stopped. Of the thousands of cooks on Pinterest, I have made more of your recipes than anyone else. I trust you the most. As a creative cook, you are the bomb!
Thank you so much Juliette, thatβs so nice to hear!! N x
Made it; loved it! Another great recipe from you. Also used almond flour and halibut and was delicious.
P.S. Served with sauted asparagus and a boiled red potato, skin on, and they really liked the sauce.
Itβs the 28th night of Ramadan and I asked the people fasting. What do you want for Sahur? Typical answerβ¦donβt know. I saw your video. Felt inspired. The result was great. My husband and daughter loved it. He said what did you do the fish today??!! Lol.
Iβm so glad it was a hit Huda! N x