Pan Seared Perch with Fried Capers and Roasted Tomato Balsamic Vinaigrette

The most common request I get for recipes are "easy fish recipes." Well, here's one that's not only easy, but healthy and very tasty. I'm using Perch here, but almost any thin, flaky fish will work. I am a big fan of the "fresh-frozen" fish case at the market. The fish is frozen as soon as it's caught on the boat, and stays that way until I decide to cook it. Many times what you are buying as "fresh" at the market is not so fresh. Sure, it's never been frozen, but it traveled from the boat to the processor, to the market, and then maybe sat in the case for a couple days. So don't confuse fresh with always better.

This video recipe clip is only the fish with the fried capers and brown butter. The sauce, Roasted Tomato Balsamic Vinaigrette, and the cold salad, Stellette Pasta with Spring Peas and Lemon, will both be demonstrated on the site this week. Sorry for the tease, but today, it's all about the Perch. The key pre-searing technique to pay special attention to is the small cuts or "scores" I make on the Perch's skin. This keeps the fish from curling up and also allows the flavor of the butter and capers to really get into the filet. The small filets I used only took a couple minutes on each side, so you'll have to adjust if you used another fish like sole, or tilapia, etc. Bye the way, even though I use a good amount of butter in the pan, very little actually makes it on to the plate. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• boneless Perch filets, skin-on
• 2 tbl butter
• 2 tbl capers
• salt and pepper to taste