Pan-fried Hake With Lemon Butter Recipe

Prepare fillets

Pat the hake fillets dry on both sides with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with the sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Dredge

Place the flour in a shallow plate and lightly coat each fillet, shaking off excess so there is only a thin dusting of flour left. This helps create a light, golden crust.

Heat pan

Add the neutral oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a large nonstick or stainless-steel skillet and warm over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and the butter foams but does not brown, about 1–2 minutes.

Pan-fry the hake

Add the fillets to the pan presentation-side down (if there is a nicer side), leaving space between each. Cook without moving until the underside is golden and releases easily, about 2–3 minutes. Carefully flip each fillet and add another tablespoon of butter to the pan. Cook the second side 1½–2 minutes more, spooning the melted butter over the tops once or twice, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork (internal temperature ~ 135–140°F / 57–60°C). Transfer the cooked fillets to a warm plate and tent loosely with foil.

Deglaze

Reduce heat to medium. Pour off any excess fat from the pan leaving about 1 tablespoon of fond and fat. Add the white wine or chicken stock (if using) to the hot pan to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon; let it reduce by half, about 1 minute. If not using wine/stock, skip this step and proceed.

Make lemon butter

Lower heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the lemon juice to the pan. Swirl or stir continuously until the butter melts and begins to emulsify with the pan juices, forming a glossy glaze, about 1 minute. Stir in the lemon zest, capers (if using), and chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with a small pinch of salt and a grind of pepper as needed.

Finish fish in glaze

Return the fillets to the pan spoon-side up and baste them with the lemon butter glaze for 30–45 seconds to warm through and coat. Alternatively, spoon the glaze over the fillets on the serving plate.

Plate the hake fillets, spooning additional lemon butter glaze over each. Garnish with lemon wedges and microgreens or extra parsley. Serve immediately.