Butter-Fried Sardines with Lemon Zucchini – Fresh sardines pan-fried in brown butter until the skin is shatteringly crispy, served alongside lemon-dressed sautéed zucchini coins. This Catalan-inspired dish is humble in ingredients but spectacular in flavor. Fresh sardines fried in butter is one of the great simple pleasures of cooking.
Butter-Fried Sardines With Lemon Zucchini
Fresh sardines are one of the most overlooked ingredients in Western cooking – cheap, nutritious, and when cooked properly in butter, absolutely extraordinary. The key is very high heat and completely dry fish. The skin becomes glass-like and crispy while the flesh inside stays moist. Brown butter amplifies everything.
Ingredients:
Instructions
- Pat sardines completely dry inside and out with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over high heat until butter turns golden brown and smells nutty.
- Add sardines in a single layer. Do not touch for 3-4 minutes until the skin facing down is completely crispy.
- Flip carefully and cook 2 more minutes. Remove and rest on a warm plate.
- In the same pan with the brown butter, add remaining 2 tbsp butter and garlic. Cook 1 minute.
- Add zucchini coins in a single layer. Cook 3-4 minutes until golden on one side, flip, cook 2 more minutes.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and capers. Toss to coat.
- Plate zucchini and top with sardines. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges..
Nutrition Facts
Servings 2
Serving Size 4 sardines + zucchini
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 460kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 33gg51%
- Total Carbohydrate 5gg2%
- Protein 36gg72%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Ask your fishmonger to clean and gut the sardines for you – they're usually happy to do this. Completely dry fish is essential for crispy skin. If the butter is browning too fast when you add the fish, reduce heat slightly. The garlic-lemon-butter pan sauce from the zucchini step is extraordinary – make sure every drop ends up on the plate.
