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Pan Seared Halibut With Lemon Caper Sauce

5 from 5 votes
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This Pan Seared Halibut With Lemon Caper Sauce is a decadent yet easy way to cook up some halibut when the occasion calls for it. 

Pan Seared Halibut on a plate with couscous and vegetables
Pan Seared Halibut on a plate with lemon caper sauce

Pan Seared Halibut is Fast & Easy

When the family’s away for the weekend…..I eat seafood.

I have a sad, sad story to share with you. I am the only person in my small little 4 person family who eats seafood.At the moment. I pray to the gods everyday that someone will convert. Might be my vegetarian-when-it-pleases-him son, might be my getting more adventurous daughter who likes plain tuna at the moment. It most definitely and unfortunately won’t be my stuck-in-his-seafood-hating-ways husband.

So this recipe has one small, sad, lonely Halibut steak.

It was just me.

A halibut steak. And a bottle of wine. And a recipe was born!

*fear not, the unused portion of the bottle of wine went to very, very good use.*

Ingredients Needed

  1. 2 halibut steaks
  2. 1/3 cup of flour
  3. 2 tbsp butter
  4. 2 cloves of garlic
  5. 1/3 cup dry white wine
  6. 1 tbsp capers
  7. 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
  8. 1/2 of a lemon, zested and juiced

How to Make Pan Seared Halibut

  • Rinse and pat dry your halibut. For lucky people who have family members who actually eat seafood, this recipe has enough sauce for two servings.
a piece of raw halibut steak in a plate
raw halibut steak
raw halibut steak om wood board being patted dry using tissue
raw halibut steak being patted dry
  • Dredge the fish through the flour.
floured raw halibut steak
flouring raw halibut steak
  • Melt the butter in a frying pan and start cooking the fish. You can sprinkle on some pepper at this point, some salt, season it up a bit. Cook on a medium heat so the butter doesn’t burn.
frying a raw halibut steak in a frying pan with melted butter
frying a raw halibut steak in butter
  • The steaks should take about 6 minutes per side on a medium heat and when they are done, flake like this. You can tell when halibut is done, if it’s not it will still look translucent and raw. When done, the halibut will be white and flake easily when you take a fork to it.
close up of a flaky fried halibut steak
flaky fried halibut steak

Now, I was not going to deglaze the pan that I fried the fish in. It’s just not the same as getting good chicken flavor. I love my seafood, but I draw the line there, it just is not appealing with this recipe. So the sauce is made in a separate pot. Add in the lemon juice, parsley, capers,wine and zest. Simmer it a while until the liquid is reduced.

simmering the sauce in the pot with lemon juice, parsley, capers,wine and zest

Serve like this, place the fish steak on the plate and drizzle the sauce, heavy on the lovely tidbits that are in the sauce. Just like a chicken picatta, but with fish!

close up of Pan Seared Halibut on a plate with couscous and vegetables
Pan Seared Halibut on a plate with couscous and vegetables

Happy cooking!

Love,

Karlynn

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This Pan Seared Halibut With Lemon Caper Sauce is a decadent yet easy way to cook up some halibut when the occasion calls for it.  #fish #eatinghealthy #healthyfood #recipe #halibut #friedfish #seafood #lemon #capers

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Pan Seared Halibut With Lemon Caper Sauce

This Pan Seared Halibut With Lemon Caper Sauce is a decadent yet easy way to cook up some halibut when the occasion calls for it. 
5 from 5 votes
close up of Pan Seared Halibut on a plate with couscous and vegetables
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total Time
15 minutes
Course
Dinner
Cuisine
Seafood
Servings
2
Calories
481
Author
Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients
 

  • 2 halibut steaks
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Lemon Caper Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
  • 1/2 lemon zested and juiced

Instructions
 

  • Rinse and pat dry your halibut steaks with paper towels. Whisk together the flour and pepper. Dredge the fish steaks through the flour until coated completely.
  • Melt the butter in a frying pan and add in the halibut steaks. You can sprinkle on some more pepper at this point, some salt, season it up a bit. Cook on a medium heat so the butter doesn't burn. The steaks should take about 6 minutes per side on a medium heat and when they are done the halibut will flake nicely.
  • While the steaks are cooking, start the sauce. In another small skillet, start the butter melting and add the minced garlic. 
  • In the small skillet with the butter and garlic, add in the lemon juice, parsley, capers, wine and zest. Simmer it a while until the liquid is reduced. 
  • To serve, place the fish steak on the plate and drizzle the sauce, making sure to get some of the lovely tidbits that are in the sauce on the fish.

Recipe Notes

For calorie information please note that the calculator assumes that you are eating ALL of the flour, the butter and the wine. Calories on this recipe are far less than the calculator tells you, as you only eat a small amount of each of those.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 481kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 144mg, Sodium: 442mg, Potassium: 827mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 985IU, Vitamin C: 17.7mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 1.6mg

All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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Karlynn Johnston

I’m a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a cocktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!

Learn more about me

Site Index Capers Fish Halibut Lemon

Reader Interactions

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  1. Charlynn says

    I feel your pain. I am also the only one in my house-a house full of Cape Bretoners no less!-that likes seafood. They all hide in a bedroom and make me open all the windows and turn the fans on when I cook it. So, it becomes my restaurant treat.

    I love halibut steak, your version of it looks very yummy!

    5 stars

  2. Charlynn says

    Bring your Harry Potter books with you-we can spend some time at the beach too!

  3. Karlynn says

    I weep for you, Charlynn. Seriously, let’s trade families for a while, send yours out West in exchange for me and I will join you for some East coast seafood! Dang, what a waste.

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