Tripletail With Sizzling Crabmeat and Herbs
The excitement in this dish comes from the ability of clarified butter to be made extremely hot without burning. Hot enough to sizzle anything it's poured over. The butter looks harmless when you bring it to the table, but spoon it over the crabmeat and fresh herbs, and it crackles and sizzles, with drama and a wonderful aroma. This also works on a steak.
- 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (about half a bunch)
- 1 Tbs. capers, chopped
- 2 tsp. chopped fresh garlic
- 1 dash Worcestershire
- Juice of 1/4 lemon
- 4 oz. white crabmeat
- 4 8-oz. fillets tripletail (or trout, redfish, drum, sheepshead, or other white fish)
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1/2 cup clarified butter
Preheat the broiler and broiler pan.
1. Combine the parsley, capers, garlic, and crabmeat in a small bowl. Sprinkle with the Worcestershire and lemon juice and toss to distribute the ingredients equally.
2. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Broil about four inches from the flame until the slightest hint of browning is seen around the edges. Check the fish to see if it's cooked in the center of the thickest part (it should be). If not, broil just a minute longer or less.
3. Place the fish fillet on the serving plate. Top with a small pile (not a scattering) of the crabmeat-and-herb mixture.
4. In the smallest saucepan you have, heat the clarified butter till a flake of parsley immediately sizzles in it. Spoon the butter while still very hot over the fish and its topping, which will sizzle when the butter hits it. It's most dramatic to do this at the table, but be very careful: the heat of the butter presents a burning hazard if it gets splashed.
Serves four.
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