Lemon-Chile White Fish with Chickpeas

Dinner

Lemon-Chile White Fish with Chickpeas

Thinly sliced lemons cook with chickpeas, garlic and mild chile flakes after the fish is seared. Butter, honey and a little water bring the pan sauce together.

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Yield
4 servings
Cuisine
Mediterranean-inspired

Bring it to the table

Slice the lemons thinly

Remove seeds and cut thin rounds so the lemon softens in the skillet. Stir the chickpeas through the lemon and spices before finishing the sauce.

At the table

Spoon the lemon-chickpea mixture over the fish and finish with chopped parsley.

Before you start

Gather your ingredients.

Full quantities and serving adjustments are in the recipe card below.

See the ingredient checklist
  • 4 white fish fillets — 5–6 oz each; cod, halibut or haddock
  • kosher salt — to taste
  • black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil — for the fish
  • 1/3 cup olive oil — for the sauce
  • 2 lemons — thinly sliced, seeds removed
  • 4 cloves garlic — thinly sliced
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas — drained and rinsed
  • 1 tbsp Aleppo-style pepper or other mild chile flakes
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1/3 cup water — add gradually, as needed
  • parsley — chopped, to finish

A few useful notes.

Fish thickness changes cooking time. Check the center rather than relying only on minutes.

Use mild chile flakes for the amount given; a very hot crushed chile will give a different heat level.

The cooking plan

How to make Lemon-Chile White Fish with Chickpeas.

  1. Pat the fish dry and season with salt and black pepper. Heat the fish oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the fish about 3 minutes per side, continuing as needed until opaque, flaky and 145°F. Transfer to a platter.

  2. Add the sauce oil to the same pan. Stir in the lemons, garlic, chickpeas, chile flakes and paprika and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5–7 minutes, tossing often, until the lemons soften and the chickpeas are well coated.

  3. Add the butter and honey, then gradually stir in the water until the sauce comes together, about 2 minutes. Use only as much water as needed for a coating consistency.

  4. Spoon the lemon mixture over the fish and finish with parsley. Serve promptly.

Let’s cook

The full recipe.

Check off ingredients as you get them ready.

Changing servings? The ingredient list scales automatically. Adjust quantities named in the steps to match, and choose pans and cooking times for your batch.

The Broken Scale

Lemon-Chile White Fish with Chickpeas

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Seared white fish with chickpeas and softened lemon slices in a mild chile-butter pan sauce.
Print Recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean-inspired
Ingredients Equipment Instructions Notes

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Ingredients
  

Fish
  •  
    4 white fish fillets 5–6 oz each; cod, halibut or haddock
Fish and sauce
  • kosher salt to taste
  • black pepper freshly ground, to taste
Fish
  • 2 tbsp olive oil for the fish
Sauce
  • ⅓ cup olive oil for the sauce
  • 2 Lemon thinly sliced, seeds removed
  • 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  •  
    1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
  •  
    1 tbsp Aleppo-style pepper or other mild chile flakes
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • Golden honey in a glass bowl with a wooden honey dipper1 tsp honey
  • ⅓ cup water add gradually, as needed
To finish
  • parsley chopped, to finish

Equipment

Non-Stick Skillet
Instant-read thermometer
Knife and cutting board
Stirring spoon
Stirring spoon
Measuring cups and spoons

Equipment images are illustrative. Exact products may vary.

Instructions
 

  1. Pat the fish dry and season with salt and black pepper. Heat the fish oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the fish about 3 minutes per side, continuing as needed until opaque, flaky and 145°F. Transfer to a platter.
  2. Add the sauce oil to the same pan. Stir in the lemons, garlic, chickpeas, chile flakes and paprika and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5–7 minutes, tossing often, until the lemons soften and the chickpeas are well coated.
  3. Add the butter and honey, then gradually stir in the water until the sauce comes together, about 2 minutes. Use only as much water as needed for a coating consistency.
  4. Spoon the lemon mixture over the fish and finish with parsley. Serve promptly.

Notes

Fish thickness changes cooking time. Check the center rather than relying only on minutes.
Use mild chile flakes for the amount given; a very hot crushed chile will give a different heat level.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

A couple of useful answers.

Should I use all the water in the sauce?

Add it gradually. Stop when the butter and liquid form a coating sauce; you may not need it all.

Why remove the fish before cooking the chickpeas?

The lemons and aromatics need their own time in the skillet. Removing the fish keeps it from staying over the heat for that whole stage.

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