American · main

Pan-Seared Halibut with Brown Butter

Pan-Seared Halibut with Brown Butter reads citrus 6.6, richness 6.4 and sourness 6.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a American main, about 13 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.6 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.6 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 8.4 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.0 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 6.6 · Richness 6.4 · Sourness 6.0 · Umami 5.9 · Fruity 5.3 · Salinity 4.3 · Allium 3.7 · Marine & Briny 2.9 · Herbaceous 2.7 · Warm Spice 1.5 · Floral 1.4 · Sweetness 0.9 · Bitterness 0.9 · Nutty 0.8 · Heat 0.6 · Earthy 0.5

What's in it (10)

• flounder fillets — 680 g
• salt — 5 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
• all-purpose flour — 15 g
• oil — 27 g
• unsalted butter — 82 g
• capers — 30 g
• garlic — 6 g
• lemon — 65 g
• parsley — 7 g

Time & effort: about 13 min · effort: medium

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. Pat the halibut fillets dry with paper towels, then season both sides with salt and pepper; let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes to take the chill off.
2. Dust the fillets lightly with flour on both sides, tapping off the excess.
3. Heat the oil in a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the fillets presentation-side down and sear undisturbed until deeply golden and a crust releases easily from the pan, 4-5 minutes.
4. Flip carefully and sear the second side until the fish flakes easily and reaches 130-135F in the center for a moist, medium doneness, 3-4 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
5. Wipe out the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter and cook, swirling often, until it foams and then turns golden brown with a nutty aroma, 2-3 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn.
6. Add the capers and garlic to the browned butter and cook until the garlic is fragrant and the capers crisp slightly, 30-45 seconds.
7. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice (it will bubble and sputter) and parsley.
8. Spoon the brown butter sauce over the halibut fillets and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Baked Salmon with Brown Butter Breadcrumbs — American
• Crispy Skin Salmon with Lemon Butter — American
• Pan-Seared Scallops with Garlic Butter — American
• Lemon Butter Baked Cod — American
• Shrimp Scampi Linguine — Italian-American

Keep reading: what citrus, richness, sourness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.