Serves 4.
1 lemon
10 to 12 sprigs Italian parsley
1 shallot
6 T butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
1 to 1 1/2 lb rockfish fillets ( or other fish; 4 to 6 oz per serving)
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First make lemon and parsley butter. Grate zest of lemon. Chop leaves of parsley. Peel and finely dice shallot, put it in a bowl, and squeeze lemon juice over to just cover. Let shallot macerate in juice for 10 minutes, then add butter, lemon zest and parsley. Season with salt and a generous amount of black pepper, and mash butter to mix everything together.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a shallow baking dish or roasting pan, or line with parchment paper. Place fillets in baking dish, season with salt and pepper, and moisten lightly with olive oil. Bake fish for 7 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness of fillets, until just cooked through but still moist. Serve with a spoonful or parsley butter on top of each fillet.
Alternative preparation: You can make butter with another herb or combination of herbs (basil, chervil, chives, fennel, tarragon), or add 3 or 4 chopped, salt-packed anchovy fillets to butter.
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