Creamy Lemon-Herb Pan Sauce

A delicious pan sauce, such as this one made with cream, lemon, and herbs, can elevate a simple sautéd fillet in just a few minutes. After the fish is cooked, transfer it to a plate and use the same skillet to make the pan sauce. Dust the pieces of fish with a tiny bit of flour before sautéing to create a light crust. Try this with halibut, rockfish, lingcod, or Pacific cod.

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or dill
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium skillet used to pan-sear fish, melt the butter over medium heat then add the shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is softened and just beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the cream and lemon zest and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, then stir in the lemon juice and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve right away.