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Home » Main Dishes » Lemon caper butter sauce for fish

Lemon caper butter sauce for fish

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A rich and delicious lemon caper butter sauce that’s perfect spooned over plain baked fish for a simple but indulgent dinner.

Do you ever wonder what your ancestors ate? I do. I recently bought myself some reprints of vintage Jewish cookery books. Hours can pass by in a flash as I browse the pages, discovering historical recipes and tracing the evolution of different dishes. And of course seeing how different – or similar – our diets are now to how they were a hundred or more years ago.

On this page...

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  • Historical cooking
  • Antique recipes
  • Caper Butter Sauce
  • Where are the lemons?
  • Lemon caper butter sauce
  • Lemon caper butter sauce – ingredients
  • How to make lemon caper butter sauce
  • Caper butter sauce – an oldie but a goodie
  • Fish with lemon caper butter sauce
  • More delicious fish recipes

Historical cooking

In the last few years, print-on-demand technology has resurrected lots of old titles, which of course are now out-of-copyright. Time was, you’d have to spend £100s to get your hands on antique cookbooks. And then I’d be too scared to read or use them for fear of damaging them! Now, facsimile copies can be ordered on the internet for just a few pounds/dollars, and arrive at your door not long after. Brilliant!

Overhead image of a place setting with knife, fork, linen napkin, and a white plate containing a piece of white fish covered in lemon caper butter sauce, a wedge of lemon, and a salad of leaves and cherry tomatoes.

Antique recipes

It’s fair to say that not all historical recipes have stood the test of time. I don’t think I’ll be making a plain boiled calves head, French fashion, anytime soon, for example.

However some of the other recipes looked really quite familiar. As I was browsing the pages of An Easy And Economical Book Of Jewish Cookery from 1874, I also found Dutch Apple Pie, Tomato Soup, and Potatoes Baked in the Skin. How modern!

Close up image of a piece of white fish with lemon caper butter sauce, sprinkled with chopped parsley, on a white plate. Salad leaves and tomatoes are also on the plate.

Caper Butter Sauce

Both the book mentioned above, and The Jewish Manual (1846) feature recipes for caper sauce. This is something that we enjoy with fish quite regularly, although I don’t make it exactly as written in these books.

The Jewish Manual‘s recipe reads:

This is merely melted butter with a few pickled capers simmered in it, or they may be put into a sauce made of broth thickened with egg, and a little flour.

The recipe from An Easy And Economical Book Of Jewish Cookery is slightly more involved, calling for the cook to:

Put in a small saucepan 2 oz. of butter, 1 spoonful of flour, ½ a teacup of milk or water, salt, pepper. Set it to warm, keep shaking the saucepan all the time till it thickens, then stir in a good spoonful of capers.

Close up image of a piece of cod covered with lemon caper butter sauce, on a white plate. Salad leaves and tomatoes are also on the plate.

Where are the lemons?

Neither of these recipes calls for lemon, which surprised me. Lemon and orange are flavours that appear throughout both of these books, as presumably these fruits were easily available.

However lemons and oranges tended to be used in sweet dishes and desserts. I guess that the familiar pairing of white fish and fresh lemon juice didn’t come into existence until later.

Fingers squeezing a wedge of lemon over a piece of white fish covered with lemon caper butter sauce.

Lemon caper butter sauce

Here at FFF towers, this delicious sauce for fish ALWAYS includes lemon! I tend to favour the less fussy version – “merely melted butter with a few pickled capers” – plus a generous squeeze of lemon.

Despite being made with only three simple ingredients, this historic sauce is truly scrumptious. Rich and buttery, with sharpness from the lemon and the delicious flavour of capers.

It’s fantastic poured over any kind of white fish. I usually bake some fillets of cod, hake or haddock, and then serve them with the lemon caper butter sauce spooned over the top.

Overhead image of a place setting with knife, fork, linen napkin, and a white plate containing a piece of white fish covered in lemon caper butter sauce, a wedge of lemon, and a salad of leaves and cherry tomatoes.

Lemon caper butter sauce – ingredients

The clues are all there in the name! To make this delicious and simple sauce for fish, all you will need is:

  • Butter – I usually use salted butter, but unsalted will work too
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Capers – I prefer the tiny ‘nonpareil’ capers but any size is fine
  • Fresh parsley – optional but delicious
Ingredients for lemon caper butter sauce - butter, lemon juice, capers, chopped parsley.

How to make lemon caper butter sauce

To make this tasty sauce, first, simply melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the lemon juice and whisk into the butter. Then simply stir in the capers and chopped parsley if you’re using it, and warm through.

Spoon the sauce over some baked white fish fillets and serve! A wedge of lemon and a sprinkle of parsley make a simple and delightful garnish.

Steps to make a lemon caper butter sauce. 1. melt the butter in a saucepan, 2. whisk in the lemon juice, 3. add capers and chopped parsley, 4. mix well.

Caper butter sauce – an oldie but a goodie

Once you’ve tasted this delicious caper sauce, you’ll understand why it’s still popular over 150 years since the recipe was published in one of those vintage books! I’m sure it’s one you’ll come back to again and again, just like we do.

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Lemon caper butter sauce - a delicious accompaniment to fish.

📖 Recipe

A piece of white fish on a plate, with lemon caper butter sauce. To the left of the fish is a wedge of lemon, behind the fish is a small salad of leaves and tomatoes.

Fish with lemon caper butter sauce

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A simple but delicious sauce that transforms white fish into a wow-worthy dish.
4.42 from 12 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine European
Servings 2
Calories 282 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 fillets of white fish e.g. cod, haddock, hake etc. (approx. 120g/4¼ oz each)
  • 50 g butter + a little extra
  • 1 lemon – juice only
  • 2 teaspoon capers, drained
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
  • lemon wedges and chopped parsley to garnish (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease with butter.
  • Rinse the fish fillets and pat dry. Place on the buttered foil and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 12-15 minutes until just cooked through.
  • Meanwhile make the sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the 50g (3½ tbsp) butter over a low-medium heat. Add the freshly squeezed juice of a lemon and whisk to combine.
  • Stir in the capers and parsley. Warm through for a few seconds and remove from the heat.
  • Serve the fish with the sauce spooned over. Garnish with lemon wedges and more chopped parsley if desired.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Fish with lemon caper butter sauce
Amount per Serving
Calories
282
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
21
g
32
%
Saturated Fat
 
13
g
81
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Cholesterol
 
105
mg
35
%
Sodium
 
300
mg
13
%
Potassium
 
529
mg
15
%
Carbohydrates
 
1
g
0
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
22
g
44
%
Vitamin A
 
845
IU
17
%
Vitamin C
 
10
mg
12
%
Calcium
 
30
mg
3
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keyword butter, capers, fish, herbs, lemon
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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A piece of white fish on a plate, with lemon caper butter sauce. To the left of the fish is a wedge of lemon, behind the fish is a small salad of leaves and tomatoes.

I’m linking this delicious fish recipe up with #CookBlogShare.

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Comments

  1. Nikki

    September 27, 2024 at 4:16 am

    No sure what I did wrong. The amount of flour kept this at a lumpy consistency despite stirring for a while. Had to add half a cup of water to get it to the correct consistency.
    After that, it turned out well.
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Helen

      September 30, 2024 at 8:45 am

      Hi Nikki, I’m not sure what you did but there’s no flour in this recipe! I’m glad you managed to make something good though 🙂
      All the best, Helen.

      Reply
  2. Jenny

    May 19, 2021 at 2:27 pm

    5 stars
    I love how easy and flavorful this sauce is. It turns cod into a much more interesting dinner. I agree that the squeeze of lemon is so good with the parsley and capers!

    Reply
    • Helen

      May 19, 2021 at 2:47 pm

      Thanks Jenny. Yes, I love how much flavour it packs, for so little effort!!

      Reply
  3. Beth

    May 19, 2021 at 2:22 pm

    5 stars
    This sauce is so delicious. We smothered locally caught perch with it. Gives the perch such a nice flavor. Thanks

    Reply
    • Helen

      May 19, 2021 at 2:46 pm

      Sounds amazing Beth! I always think that local food tastes better somehow!

      Reply
  4. Pam Greer

    May 19, 2021 at 1:51 pm

    5 stars
    I love simple recipes like this! This sauce elevates whatever you pour it on!

    Reply
    • Helen

      May 19, 2021 at 1:56 pm

      Thanks Pam. I agree – so delicious!

      Reply
  5. Claudia Lamascolo

    May 19, 2021 at 1:35 pm

    5 stars
    I loved this sauce we have made it twice for our Mahi Mahi meal its terrific!

    Reply
    • Helen

      May 19, 2021 at 1:48 pm

      That’s great to hear Claudia – so happy you love it!

      Reply
4.42 from 12 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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