Instructions

1. Pat the perch fillets dry with paper towels and season them simply. A scant sprinkle of kosher salt and a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper plays well off the capers.

2. Rinse the capers in a colander under cool water and set them aside to drain. Coat a saute pan with a generous drizzle of olive oil or butter.

3. Heat the oil over medium heat for a few minutes and add the perch fillets. Sear the fillets for about a minute.

4. Tilt the pan toward you and spoon up the oil or butter them pour it over the perch a few times during cooking. Pan-basting helps the fillets cook evenly.

5. Turn the perch over in the pan after about two to three minutes using a fish spatula. Pan-fry the perch two or three minutes, spooning the oil or butter over the tops occasionally. Transfer the perch fillets to the serving plate.

6. Add a handful of capers to the pan and swirl to coat them in fat. Cook the capers until just heated through, about 1 minute.

7. Add a couple tablespoons of butter if you used butter as the cooking fat, then squeeze a healthy spritz of fresh lemon juice in the pan. If you used olive oil, just add the squeeze of lemon juice.

8. Swirl the pan a couple times to meld the flavor of the capers with the fat. Add freshly chopped herbs to the pan sauce, if desired, and pour it over the perch fillets.