Basa in Lemon Butter Sauce
Often the simplest things turn out to be the most tasty. This recipe is the epitome of that theory. Basa (also marketed as Basa Swai) is a type of catfish farmed in Southeast Asia. It is best described as a cross between Tilapia and common Catfish. The flavor is mild like Tilapia but the flesh is not so prone to breaking up while cooking, similar to the common Catfish. You could substitute Tilapia, Catfish, or just about any other common white fish in this recipe.
- 2 large Basa fillets
- 1/4 medium red onion
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 3/4 cup light white wine (pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc)
- 1 tablespoon capers
- flour for coating the fish, about 4 tablespoons
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to about 200 degrees.
Cut the onions into a relatively fine dice.
In a one gallon plastic storage bad add flour, a pinch of salt, and two turns of the pepper mill. Divide the Basa fillets into halves of about equal weight. The Basa fillet like most fish has a very thick end and a smaller tail end so the length of each division will likely be different. Add the fillets to the bag, seal the bag, and shake the bag to coat the fillets.
In a ten inch saute pan add the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter at medium high heat. Allow the oil to heat until the butter dissolves and starts to sizzle a bit. Add the Basa fillets and brown for no more than two minutes. Turn the fillets and brown for an additional two minutes. Place the fillets on a heatproof plate and place in the oven to keep warm.
In the saute pan add the onions and allow to wilt for about 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice, white wine, and the remaining butter to the pan. Stir the mixture and allow to reduce over a medium heat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. I find that if you do this over a higher heat the sauce tends to darken considerably. Reduce until you have about four tablespoons of liquid. Add the capers to heat through for about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat.
Arrange Basa fillets on a plate. You should have enough for one fillet per person. Drizzle the sauce from the pan over the Basa fillets.
This whole process should take no more than 15 minutes. If I am serving with a starch, usually rice, I make sure everything else is ready to go before I start on the fish.