Chicken or veal Francese (or Française) is widely believed to be an Italian-American dish born in New York. Cutlets or scallopine are dredged in flour, dipped in an egg batter, and sautéed until golden. It’s a prep that I think is just as delicious with white fish, and I’ve made it using thinner fillets such as sole, or thicker cuts such as halibut. The egg coating becomes velvety as it soaks up the sauce, and the fish stays tender and moist. Although the traditional way to serve is with a lemon-butter and white wine sauce, we love capers in this household so I always add a generous spoonful or two. Tip: I prefer capers preserved in salt - I find the delicate flower buds have more flavor and texture than those in brine.

As I mentioned in my Chile-Spiced Swordfish Sandwich recipe here, I’m working with Chula Seafood, and, this time, they provided me with an opportunity to cook with something I had never seen before - California sheepshead (or sheephead). Not to be confused with Florida sheepshead, a different type of fish, this is a Pacific Ocean fish found off the coast of California and Baja, Mexico. I found cooking it just until it starts to flake was the perfect texture for this sweet and mild fish. “Now THIS is the kind of fish I love,” said my husband. For this recipe serving two, I divided an 11-oz fillet in half.

This recipe is based on the Haddock Margarita at Italian Express Pizzeria in East Boston featured on Guy’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. I lived in Boston before moving to Arizona and spent a lot of time visiting these neighborhood Italian restaurants, so for me it’s a taste of home. Though Chef Iannuzzi serves it with roasted potatoes, we find the buttery, lemony sauce is delicious swirled into a side of creamy mashed potatoes.

INGREDIENTS:

3 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup chicken stock (broth can be substituted, though sauce will be thinner)
1/2 cup white wine
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (more to taste)
2-4 lemon slices for garnish
11-2 Tbsp salted capers, soaked and drained
2 5-6 oz fillets of Pacific sheepshead (or other white fish such as sole, flounder, or cod)
1/4 cup of flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a saute pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add chicken stock, wine and lemon juice. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer the sauce until reduced by half. Keep warm.
While sauce is reducing, heat another saute pan over medium-high heat. Add enough olive to coat the bottom of the pan.
Pat each fillet dry and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the fish on both sides in the flour, tapping off excess. Gently dip into the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off. Place into the hot saute pan, being careful of splatter. Cook the fish for approximately 2 minutes on each side, depending on thickness, or until golden brown and middle has turned from pink to white. Fish may start to flake, so flip with a wide spatula. Carefully transfer the fillets to the warm sauce and allow to simmer for 2 minutes, basting with a spoon. Remove sauce from heat.
Transfer fish to plates, and garnish with lemon slices. Swirl the remaining butter into the sauce until creamy and thickened. Spoon over fish and serve.

CHULA SEAFOOD: Pacific Sheepshead Francese