The dish that made Julia fall in love with France is deceptively simple and its success lies in the execution. Once you savor the tender, sweet white fish swathed in browned butter and a spritz of lemon, you'll understand the popularity of this classic French dish.
Lay out and pat dry the fillets. Season with salt and pepper.
Dredge in a light coating of flour, removing excess.
In a skillet on medium-high heat, pour clarified butter in and allow to heat just before browning.
Place fillets in, not overcrowding the pan. About 3-4 in a large skillet. Brown on one side for about 1-2 minutes and flip over to brown other carefully
Remove fish to a platter. Add additional butter for pan sauce, if necessary. Stir in capers, if using. Pour capers and butter pan sauce over the fish fillets.
Garnish with lemon and fresh parsley.
This dish comes together quickly, so measure your ingredients ahead of time. Also, to aid you in perfecting your technique, once the fish is in the pan, don't disturb it for at least a minute. Left alone, it will form a nice, golden crust.