Sand Dabs with Lemon + Capers

by Julie Christensen
serves 2 – 4

4 sand dabs, cleaned (tail on)

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup milk

½ cup flour

Salt + pepper

1 tablespoon capers, drained

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Dip each fish in milk, then in flour and place carefully into pan. Season with salt and pepper. Fry over medium heat for about 3 minutes per side. Remove fish and add remaining butter to pan. When melted, add capers and heat through. Pour over fish and serve immediately.

To cut the flesh from the bones, hold the fish by the tail and pass a knife or fork under the top layer of meat along the bony spine. Place the meat to the side, exposing the skeleton. Lift the bones out in a single piece and discard. A well cleaned sand dab will have no other bones, though some small ones can sometimes be found near the fins.

This is one of those simple recipes that can be made or broken by the pan used. Anne Halsted introduced me to Swiss Diamond pans and they are perfect for this dish. Butter stays very hot but does not burn and the fish come out wonderfully golden and crispy.

This recipe is such an old standard but we have revived it because – sand dabs are back! This wonderful, mild fish was a staple when I moved to San Francisco decades ago. Aquatic farming has brought them back. Pulling the spine out whole is like a magic trick featuring a cartoon fish. Even my seafood-averse friends will admit to enjoying a sand dab dinner. If you haven’t – try them!

If sand dabs are not available, Dover sole filets are a good option but won’t have the wow factor of the tidy bone removal.