Name: Pan-Fried Rockfish with Buttery Cracker Crust
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1 to 2
Ingredients: 1 (6-ounce) portion Pacific rockfish; High-heat cooking oil (vegetable, safflower or grapeseed); Salt and freshly ground pepper; 8 Ritz crackers; 2 tablespoons butter; 1 tablespoon capers, drained; Juice from ¼ of a lemon; 1 generous pinch minced parsley

Served with a Perfect Caper-Butter-Lemon Sauce

A cracker crust and a meuniere-inspired sauce makes this one of the tastiest Pacific rockfish recipes you can pull together on weeknight, inspired by one of the most classic and beloved French seafood dishes — sole meuniere.

The key ingredient for our adaptation is crushed ritz crackers, which coat the rockfish fillets to produce a buttery, golden crust. Once the rockfish is quickly pan-fried, all you need to do is throw a little butter, capers, and lemon juice into the pan to create a quick sauce. The entire meal is ready in 15 minutes. Serve this dish with a simple green salad and a baguette to soak up all the decadent pan sauce.

About Chef Alexandra: Alexandra Albrecht has been working as a personal chef in New York City and Long Island for over 10 years. Whether she’s cooking for clients, teaching cooking classes or preparing dinner for her family of three, she centers her ethics of sourcing the finest seasonal ingredients to ensure delicious, balanced and nutrient-dense meals. She is also a professional dancer and therefore has a deep personal understanding of how proper nutrition fuels a healthy, active lifestyle.

Print Recipe

Pan-Fried Rockfish with Buttery Cracker Crust

By Wild Alaskan Company

Prep time

8 minutes

Cook Time

7 minutes

Total time

15 minutes

Yield

1 to 2

Ingredients

1 (6-ounce) portion Pacific rockfish
High-heat cooking oil (vegetable, safflower or grapeseed)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 Ritz crackers
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon capers, drained
Juice from ¼ of a lemon
1 generous pinch minced parsley

Instructions

1. Line a large cutting board with parchment paper. Place crackers in the center and crush with rolling pin into fine crumbs.

2. Pat rockfish fillets dry with clean kitchen towel or paper towels to remove excess moisture. Score the darker skin side of fillets to keep them from curling when they hit the pan. Season both sides with salt and pepper and coat in cracker crumbs, pressing each side firmly into the crumbs to ensure they stick.

3. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When oil begins to shimmer, carefully add fillets. Sear, undisturbed, until fish releases easily from pan using a fish or thin, metal spatula, about 2 minutes. Flip to sear remaining side, then transfer to a plate.

4. Working quickly with an oven mitt and paper towel, wipe pan clean and return to burner over medium heat. Add butter — it should brown almost immediately, from the heat carried over from searing fillets. Add capers and lemon juice, swirl and remove from heat. Spoon pan sauce over fillets and sprinkle with parsley. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food-borne illness, especially if you have a certain medical condition. The FDA recommends an internal temperature of 145°F for cooked fish.

Pacific Rockfish with Buttery Cracker Crust

Served with a Perfect Caper-Butter-Lemon Sauce

Pan-Fried Rockfish with Buttery Cracker Crust

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