Sautéed Striped Bass with Lemon-Caper Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 (6-ounce) striped bass fillets
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons drained capers, chopped
• 1/2 cup clam juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. 1. Heat a large stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Add fillets to pan, skin side up; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn fillets over; sauté 4 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from pan; keep warm.
2. 2. Add capers to pan; cook 15 seconds, stirring frequently. Add clam juice and lemon juice; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 3 minutes). Remove pan from heat. Add butter; stir with a whisk until butter melts. Stir in parsley. Serve sauce with fish.
3. Wine note: Bursting with fruit and minerality, the classic Domaine A et P de Villaine "Bouzeron" 2007 ($23), from a small French town in the Côte Chalonnaise, is an ideal companion to this refreshingly simple wild striped bass. --Alexander Spacher