One Pan Fish Piccata
This One Pan Fish Piccata is easy & fresh — exactly what we need for these summer days. I’ve made a few changes to the classic piccata to make it grain-free, gluten-free, and white wine free (Whole 30 & Paleo friendly).
It’s summer and I’m still fully on board the seafood train. It’s fresh, light, and cooks so quickly. I was lucky to find frozen wild caught cod at a great price and I immediately knew I was going to make this.
I love making a piccata because it has all my favorite flavors of bright lemon, a bit of brininess, and fresh herbs. It’s really easy to make (done in under 30 minutes!) and since it’s done in one pan, the clean-up is even easier.
Yup. One pan goodness.
I got things to do and anything to cut down on my already piled up sink full of toddler flatware. How and why does it pile up so quickly?
This is also measured out for only two servings. Perfect for a date night in!
WHAT WILL I NEED TO MAKE THIS FISH PICCATA DISH?
The ingredient list is simple. You will need:
- cod fillets
- arrowroot flour
- extra virgin olive oil
- red onion or shallot
- fresh garlic
- capers
- white wine vinegar
- water
- lemon
- ghee or butter
- parsley (optional)
- salt & pepper
As I mentioned earlier, I used frozen cod fillets which I thawed out earlier in the day. You can use any white fish for this as well, like halibut or sea bass.
I like using arrowroot powder as my grain-free flour (this one is my favorite). It crisps up the fish so perfectly. Just make sure to dredge the fish just right before adding to the oil — any earlier makes the breading gummy.
I don’t usually keep white wine in the house. I’ve never gotten into enjoying a glass of white to relax — give me a margarita or some ice cream instead. And whenever I do want to make a dish that would usually use white wine, the substitute was usually chicken broth. I tried it a few times with some adjustments and just never really achieved the flavor I wanted.
I researched a bit and I came upon that substituting white wine with a combination of white wine vinegar and water works perfectly. I mean, it makes sense since white wine vinegar is made out of white wine. I tried it out, loved it and I’ve been using that trick as my white wine substitute ever since.
WHAT CAN YOU PAIR WITH THIS FISH PICCATA?
In the photos, we wanted to keep things light, so I used whatever I had which was roasted asparagus and japanese sweet potatoes, which I seasoned with just avocado oil, salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder. This one pan fish piccata pairs well with roasted brussel sprouts, steamed haricot verts, lemony orzo, white rice, or even simple caesar salad.
A FEW NOTES:
- The recipe is for only 2 servings (which you can easily double using the tool within the recipe card). If you choose to double or triple this recipe, work in batches and make sure to not overcrowd the pan when pan frying the fish. Give them enough room to get crispy.
- Remember, don’t dredge the fish until right before pan frying to prevent a gummy breading.
- If you don’t want to use white wine vinegar or white wine, you can totally try using chicken broth instead. I always suggest using a low sodium broth so you can be in control on how salty you want your dish.
- Another substitution for white wine vinegar you can try is rice wine vinegar.
Ingredients
- 2 4 oz cod fillets skin removed
- ¼ cup arrowroot flour
- ¼ - ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ small red onion or use a shallot
- 1 large garlic clove
- ½ tbsp capers
- ¼ cup filtered water *see notes
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar *see notes
- 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp ghee or butter if not whole 30
- 1 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped, optional
- salt & pepper
- lemon slices for garnish
Instructions
- Pat the fish dry and season each side with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Preheat a non-stick pan with olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan) on medium heat.
- Once the oil is heated, prepare the fish. In a shallow bowl, add the arrowroot power. Dredge the cod fillets in the flour, gently shaking excess off. Carefully add the fish to the pan, frying until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and continue to cook the other side until done, about another 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onion to the pan. Stir and cook for about 1 minute and then add the garlic. Cook the garlic for 1 minute and then add the capers, filtered water, white wine vinegar, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced. Turn off heat and stir in the tablespoon of ghee and parsley. Spoon onto the fillets. Garnish with more parsley and a few lemon slices.
Notes
- Dredge the fish right before adding to the oil. Dredging in arrowroot powder too early will result in a gummy breading.
- Any white fish will work, like halibut, snapper, white bass. I've also tried salmon in this recipe and it tastes amazing, only change I would recommend is the addition of fresh dill instead of parsley.
- If wanting to use white wine, replace the ¼ cup filtered water + ¼ cup white wine vinegar with ½ cup white wine.
- You can also sub the ¼ cup filtered water + ¼ cup white wine vinegar with ½ cup of chicken stock/broth if preferred.
- See the blog post above for a few more tips.
Nutrition
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