Pan-Fried Whitefish With Corn, Avocado, Lime and Basil Relish Recipe

By
Jennifer Olvera
Jennifer Olvera is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Jennifer Olvera
Jennifer Olvera is a Chicago-based food writer and cookbook author who has written eight cookbooks and contributed to Serious Eats, the Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, and others.
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Updated August 29, 2018
20130530-Serious-Eats-Sunday-Supper-Whitefish-Corn-Relish.jpg
Pan-fried whitefish with a tangy corn, tomato, and avocado relish. . Jennifer Olvera

Pan-fried whitefish is the perfect blank canvas for a medley of fresh and bright summer flavors: sweet corn, red onion, avocado, tomatoes, and basil, all tossed in a bright lime vinaigrette. The resulting dish—quick and easy to prepare—is full of flavor and color, texture and tang.

Why this recipe works:

  • Whitefish or other mild white-fleshed fish, cooked skin-on in butter and olive oil, is an ideal foundation for the refreshingly tangy corn-and-avocado relish.
  • Because the relish can be made up to 1 hour in advance, it's great for stress-free entertaining or just a relaxing meal.

Note: The relish can be made up to 1 hour in advance. If you have any leftover relish, it's also delicious served with tortilla chips.

Recipe Details

Pan-Fried Whitefish Recipe with Corn, Avocado, Lime & Basil

Active 20 mins
Total 30 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 ears corn on the cob, cooked, kernels removed (about 1 cup cooked kernels)

  • 1 small red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)

  • 1 medium Hass avocado, diced (about 1 cup)

  • 1 small tomato, diced (about 1 cup), or 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime juice

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 4 skin-on whitefish (or other light, white-fleshed fish) fillets, about 6 ounces each, patted dry with paper towels

Directions

  1. Combine corn, red onion, avocado, tomato, red wine vinegar, lime juice, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, and basil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

  2. Season fish with salt and pepper. Melt butter and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter is foaming. Add fish, skin side-down, and cook, pressing gently on back of filets to ensure good contact with skin, until skin is crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. If skin shows resistance when attempting to lift with a spatula, allow it to continue to cook until it lifts easily. Flip fish and cook until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.

  3. Transfer fish to plates, top with relish and serve immediately.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
534Calories
32gFat
23gCarbs
41gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories534
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g41%
Saturated Fat 7g37%
Cholesterol 134mg45%
Sodium 503mg22%
Total Carbohydrate 23g8%
Dietary Fiber 5g19%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 41g
Vitamin C 34mg169%
Calcium 81mg6%
Iron 2mg9%
Potassium 1169mg25%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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