The other day when Mr. C. and I were grocery shopping and standing in front of the fresh seafood counter deciding on which fish to buy for our evening meal, I asked my dear husband to make the choice. After no hesitation whatsoever he chose halibut cheeks. Yikes – no pressure there! (I’m still, after all my years spent in front of a stove, slightly intimidated by cuts of meat and critters caught in salt or fresh water that cost more than $20 a pound. Foolish as that may seem, it is never-the-less a fact.)

So, with only the pressure of my own insecurities weighing me down, I decided to stick to a very simple formula I use a lot when preparing seafood or chicken. Butter + lemon + capers + white wine = delicious² (squared). Thus the recipe you see before you.

Now of course you don’t have to use halibut cheeks in this recipe. You can use halibut fillets, or cod, or salmon, or catfish, or whatever relatively firm fleshed seafood that is fresh and on sale that day. Oh wait – that’s how I usually decide which creature from the deep lagoon I’m going to take home with me. I peruse the offerings, check to see which are fresh caught and where, ask questions of the fishmonger if necessary, and almost always choose the “catch of the day” aka the one on sale. You, on the other hand can choose any old kind of fish you want for this dish! And enough about my foibles. Back to this recipe.

This dish is easy to prepare, takes very little time to fix, contains easily obtainable ingredients, and pairs well with rice and a simple salad or steamed vegetable. (Makes for a dinner that takes no time at all to get on the table.)

This recipe is basically da bomb! Enjoy.

1 lb. halibut cheeks

1/3 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

pinch paprika

2 T. unsalted butter

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. capers, drained

2 T. dry white wine

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Whisk the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika together in a small flat bottomed dish. Lightly flour each cheek, then gently tap away any excess flour.

Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Swirl the pan around until the butter and oil are mixed and bubbly.

Place the halibut cheeks into the bubbly butter and cook for a minute or two. Flip then add the capers, white wine, and lemon juice. Time will vary depending on the size of the pieces but to make certain the cheeks are at perfect temperature (about 125 degrees), use an instant-read thermometer. Remove pan from heat, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.