Pan-Fried King George Whiting with Lemon Butter
Delicate King George whiting fillets pan-fried until golden and crisp, finished with a luscious fresh lemon, parsley, and caper butter sauce.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 8 min
- Total
- 18 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 290 kcal
Equipment
- •Large non-stick frypan
- •Fish spatula
- •Paper towels
- •Shallow plate
- •Measuring spoons
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- fat
- 16 g
- carbs
- 8 g
- fibre
- 0.5 g
- protein
- 28 g
- calories
- 290 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Pat the whiting fillets completely dry on both sides using paper towels.
- 2
Combine the plain flour, sea salt, and black pepper on a shallow plate.
- 3
Dust each fillet lightly in the flour, shaking off any excess coating.
- 4
Heat olive oil and 15 g of butter in a frypan over medium-high heat.
- 5
Place fillets skin-side down in the hot pan without overcrowding.
- 6
Cook for 2 minutes until the skin turns golden and crisp.
- 7
Turn fillets gently with a fish spatula and cook for 1 minute further.
- 8
Transfer cooked fish carefully to a warm serving platter.
- 9
Lower heat to medium and add remaining butter to the same pan.
- 10
Swirl the butter until it melts, foams, and smells lightly nutty.
- 11
Stir in lemon juice, capers, and chopped parsley, then remove from heat.
- 12
Spoon warm lemon butter over the fillets and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Chef's tips
Dust the fish very lightly so the coating stays thin and crisp rather than heavy. Cook in two batches if your frypan is small, adding fresh oil and butter between batches to prevent steaming.
Ingredient substitutions
- King George whiting → sand whiting, garfish, or flathead fillets
- plain flour → gluten-free plain flour or fine rice flour
- unsalted butter → dairy-free butter spread or extra virgin olive oil
Storage
Store leftover cooked whiting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a warm frypan with a small knob of butter over low heat until heated through.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Overcrowding the frypan, which traps steam and prevents the whiting skin from crisping.
- •Overcooking the delicate, thin fillets until the sweet flesh becomes dry and flaky.
- •Burning the butter on excessive heat rather than gently swirling it to foam.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Pan-Fried King George Whiting with Lemon Butter?
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