Four simple sauces to serve with fresh fish
Fresh fish doesn’t need a complicated recipe. In fact, when the fish is really fresh, often the simpler you keep things, the better. Pan-fry, grill or bake your fish with a little olive oil and seasoning, then add a good sauce at the end and you’ve got a delicious dish – often in less than half an hour. Here are four easy sauces worth having in your repertoire.
Salsa verde
Fresh, sharp and packed with herbs, salsa verde is one of those sauces that goes with almost any fish.
There are lots of variations, but you don’t need to be too precise.
You’ll need:
A large handful of flat-leaf parsley
A small handful of basil or mint
1 tbsp capers
2 anchovy fillets
1 small garlic clove
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Juice of half a lemon
4–5 tbsp good olive oil
Black pepper
Finely chop the herbs, capers, anchovies and garlic, then mix with the mustard and lemon juice. Gradually stir in enough olive oil to give you a loose, spoonable sauce.
Taste before adding any salt – the anchovies and capers may provide all you need.
Spoon it over grilled or pan-fried fish just before serving. It’s particularly good with sea bass, hake, cod, salmon or simply grilled whole fish.
Lemon and herb butter
Probably the easiest of the four – and one you’ll find yourself making again and again.
You’ll need:
75g softened butter
Finely grated zest of half a lemon
A squeeze of lemon juice
A small handful of chopped parsley
1 small garlic clove, finely grated or crushed
Black pepper
Mix everything together and you’re done.
Put a spoonful onto hot fish just before serving and let it melt over the top.
You can also make a batch in advance. Spoon the butter onto baking paper, roll it into a sausage and freeze. You can then cut off a slice whenever you need one.
Try it with plaice, cod, haddock, sea bass, scallops or prawns.
And once you’ve mastered the basic version, experiment with different herbs. Dill, chives, tarragon and thyme all work beautifully with fish.
Tomato, olive and caper sauce
This is the one to make when you want something a little more substantial.
It’s full of Mediterranean flavours but still fresh enough to let the fish remain the star of the plate.
You’ll need:
1 tbsp good olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
250g cherry tomatoes, halved
A handful of olives, roughly chopped
1 tbsp capers
A splash of white wine
A handful of fresh parsley or basil
Black pepper
Warm the olive oil in a frying pan and gently cook the garlic for about 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften and release their juices. Add the olives, capers and a splash of white wine, then simmer for another couple of minutes.
Finish with the fresh herbs and black pepper.
It’s particularly good spooned over cod, hake, sea bass or monkfish, with some crusty bread or new potatoes alongside to mop up the juices.
Creamy white wine sauce
A simple white wine sauce is a classic with fish and sounds rather more complicated to make than it actually is.
Rich but still fresh, this is a lovely one for turning a simply pan-fried piece of fish into something that feels a little more special.
You’ll need:
1 small shallot, finely chopped
A knob of butter
150ml dry white wine
150ml fish stock
100ml double cream
A squeeze of lemon juice
A small handful of chopped parsley, chives or tarragon
Salt and black pepper
Gently soften the shallot in the butter without letting it colour.
Pour in the white wine, bring to a simmer and let it reduce by about two-thirds. Add the fish stock and continue simmering until reduced by about half.
Stir in the cream and simmer gently for another couple of minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, the fresh herbs and seasoning to taste.
If you prefer a completely smooth sauce, simply strain out the shallot before serving.
This is particularly good with cod, haddock, hake, sea bass, monkfish or scallops.
And don’t feel you need to open an expensive bottle just for the sauce. Choose a dry white wine you’d be happy to drink, then serve the rest with dinner.
Start with good fish
The common theme with all four sauces is simplicity.
None needs lots of ingredients or hours in the kitchen, and all three can be made while your fish is cooking.
The most important ingredient is still the fish itself.
Our fresh fish counter is stocked every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with the selection changing according to what’s fresh, seasonal and good value that week.
If you’re not sure what to choose, ask Nick. Tell him which sauce you fancy making and he’ll happily suggest a fish to go with it – and prepare it for you ready to cook.