Food & Cooking Recipes Ingredients Seafood Recipes Sauteed Black Sea Bass With Capers and Herb-Butter Sauce Be the first to rate & review! By Martha Stewart Editors Martha Stewart Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter Website An article attributed to "Martha Stewart Editors" indicates when several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The Martha Stewart team aims to teach and inspire readers daily with tested-until-perfected recipes, creative DIY projects, and elevated home and entertaining ideas. They are experts in their fields who research, create, and test the best ways to help readers design the life they want. The joy is in the doing. Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 21, 2019 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Ryan Liebe Prep Time: 20 mins Total Time: 25 mins Servings: 4 Letting a fillet sizzle in a pan with butter, capers, and fresh herbs is one highly civilized way to get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes. Go with sea bass, trout, or snapper-or any flaky white fish with a thin skin that will get super-crispy in the pan. Ingredients 4 skin-on black-sea-bass fillets (about 1 ¼ pounds total) Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper Instant flour, such as Wondra, for sprinkling 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil ⅓ cup dry vermouth 1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed 3 tablespoons unsalted butter ¼ cup lightly packed chopped fresh tender herbs, such as parsley, dill, tarragon, and chives Directions Pat fillets dry; slash skin side of each crosswise in 2-inch intervals. Season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour to evenly coat, shaking off excess. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. When oil shimmers and wisps of smoke rise from skillet, add fish in a single layer, skin-sides down. Reduce heat to medium; cook, undisturbed,until skin is crisp and flesh is opaque halfway up sides and almost cooked through, 5 to 7minutes, depending on thickness. Flip and continue cooking until just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to plates, skin-sides up. Add vermouth to skillet; boil until mostly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add capers and butter; cook until butter simmers and sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in herbs. Return fish to skillet, skin-side up; spoon butter sauce over top. Serve immediately. Cook's Notes Slashing the skin a few times (at two-inch intervals), means that when you lay the fish skin-side down in the hot pan, it won't curl up and will cook evenly. Rate it Print