Bake for Simplicity

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a baking or casserole dish with nonfat vegetable oil. Set the butterfish inside and frame with lemon slices, if you like.

2. Melt a few tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Saute some chopped red onion until soft. Add some lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, pepper and dry parsley.

3. Baste the butterfish with the butter mixture. Top with diced tomato, if you like, but keep any liquid to a bare minimum. Bake for 20 minutes.

4. Remove the butterfish from the oven. Let it set for a few minutes, and then cut into it with a fork. The exterior should be opaque and the interior should be flaky and moist. Do not overcook butterfish or you will diminish its naturally sweet flavor.

5. Garnish the butterfish with lemon slices and fresh parsley.

Other Cooking Methods

1. Grill your butterfish outdoors by setting your grill to “high.” Baste the fish with butter or olive oil. Season with some lemon-pepper flakes or seasoning salt. Grill the fish for about four minutes. Flip it over and grill for another four minutes. Set the fish on a plate and let it cool for a minute. Pierce the butterfish with a fork; it should be flaky and moist.

2. Pan-fry your butterfish. Coat it first with seasoned breadcrumbs, if you like. Baste the fish with olive oil and sprinkle with crumbs on both sides. Heat some butter in a skillet on medium-high and cook the fish for four minutes before turning and cooking for another four minutes on the flip side.

3. Poach your butterfish to bring out its natural flavors. Combine water, chicken broth and perhaps even some white wine to a depth of about 1 inch in a large saucepan. Sprinkle some lemon-pepper seasoning, salt, pepper, parsley sprigs and maybe even some minced garlic for added flavor. Bring the liquid to a full boil and then place the butterfish inside. Cover and reduce the heat to “simmer.” In general, poached butterfish needs to cook for about eight minutes per inch of thickness.