Pan-fried zander with lemon-butter and capers

Ingredients

• 4 zander fillets (about 150 g each), skin on
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 60 g unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp capers (drained)
• 1 lemon
• Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Pat the zander fillets dry with kitchen paper. This is the key to a crispy skin. Season both sides with salt and pepper.Heat the fish pan over medium heat. Add a splash of sunflower oil and wait until the oil starts to shimmer.Place the fillets skin-side down in the pan. Press them gently with a spatula for the first 30 seconds so the skin makes good contact with the base. Fry 3 to 4 minutes on the skin side until the skin is golden-brown and crisp.Turn the fillets over and cook 1 to 2 minutes on the flesh side. The fish is done when the flesh is opaque and flakes easily. Remove the fillets from the pan and place them on a warm plate.Reduce the heat to low. Add the butter to the pan and let it melt until it turns light golden and smells nutty. This takes about 1 to 2 minutes.Add the capers and fry them for 30 seconds. Then squeeze the lemon over the pan and stir briefly. Taste and adjust seasoning with extra salt or pepper if needed.Spoon the lemon-butter with capers over the fillets. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately with, for example, boiled potatoes or a crisp green salad.