Pan Fried Fish with A Lemon Butter Sauce

Pan frying fish for dinner is a one-two-three affair. Besides being easy to drum up, the benefits stack up as well. Fish is food that's good for you. Relatively inexpensive, fish  doesn't need much prep other than a good scrub and a simple touch.

Use a flat fish fillet like flounder, sole or tilapia. They pan fry and crisp up better than thicker cuts. Fillets are washed well, patted dry and seasoned with salt and pepper. Making the sauce is literally whisking melted butter, lemon juice and fresh thyme leaves. Fish is dusted with flour, flash- fried in a hot pan and drizzled with the sauce. I did say it was a quick dinner...easy as well.

PAN FRIED FISH WITH A LEMON BUTTER SAUCE

Serves 4

4 Tilapia Fillets 

3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt 

Fresh ground Black Pepper

2 tablespoons all purpose Flour

5 tablespoons Butter

1/2 Lemon

1 teaspoon Thyme leaves

2-3 tablespoons Canola Oil

Parsley leaves

Cut tilapia vertically in half along the middle. 

Wash well and pat fillets dry. 

Dust with salt and pepper on both sides. Let fillets sit while you make the sauce.

Melt butter over low heat for 3-5 minutes till it gives off a nutty aroma. Do not let it brown. 

Whisk juice of half a lemon into butter. 

Drop thyme leaves in and let butter bubble gently for a minute more.

Heat canola oil in a nonstick saucepan. 

Coat fillets in flour. Tap off excess flour. 

Place fillets in the saucepan. Try not to crowd them. Fry them in two batches.

Fry till the underside is golden and crisp. Flip and do the same for the other side.

Place fillets on a plate. 

Heat butter sauce till warm.

Drizzle sauce over fillets.

Garnish with a little parsley. 

Serve the fish piping hot.

Fillets disappear one-two-three. This light meal delights the palate, our senses and our whetted appetites.

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