A mild white fish like cod practically begs to be dressed in big, bold flavors, which this lemon-chile sauce definitely delivers. Sizzling chickpeas, garlic, and whole lemon slices in olive oil with Aleppo-style pepper and smoked paprika creates a puckery, smoky, earthy base; adding a pat of butter and a slow stream of water builds it into an emulsified sauce. Start with about ⅓ cup water and keep adding as needed, stirring the mixture to combine, until you reach a drizzly consistency that will spill over the fish and pool on your plate.
What you’ll need
Large Nonstick Skillet
$50 At Amazon
Glass Measuring Cup
$26 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$7 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
4
2
2
4
1
1
1
2
1
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Pat four 5–6-oz. white fish fillets (such as cod, halibut, or haddock) dry with paper towels and season on both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook fish until flesh is opaque and barely golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter.
Step 2
Heat remaining ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil in same pan. Add 2 lemons, thinly sliced, seeds removed, 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, one 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed, 1 Tbsp. Aleppo-style pepper or other mild chile flakes, and 1 tsp. smoked paprika and season generously with salt and black pepper. Cook, tossing often, until lemons are softened and jammy and chickpeas are well coated, 5–7 minutes.
Step 3
Add 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter and 1 tsp. honey to pan, then gradually drizzle in ⅓ cup water, stirring constantly until butter is melted and sauce is emulsified, about 2 minutes (you may not need all of the water). Scrape lemon mixture over fish and top with chopped parsley.