White Fish with Beurre Blanc

In Quebec’s kitchens and bistros, French elegance meets Canadian staples. Beurre blanc, a butter sauce born in France’s Loire Valley, crossed the Atlantic with settlers and found new life alongside local fish and potatoes. Here, Atlantic cod, hake, or sole are paired with creamy Quebec-grown potatoes and finished with a silky caper beurre blanc. It’s rustic yet refined — the kind of dish that reminds us how French technique transformed humble Canadian ingredients into something extraordinary.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 2–4

Ingredients

For the Mash

• 1 kg (2.2 lbs) floury potatoes (Yukon Gold or Maris Piper)

• 100 ml (½ cup) whole milk, warmed

• 50 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter

• Salt & black pepper, to taste

For the Fish

• 4 white fish fillets (hake, cod, or sole), skin removed

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Salt & black pepper

• For the Sauce (Beurre Blanc with Capers)

• 150 ml (⅔ cup) dry white wine

• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 2 shallots, finely chopped

• 150 g (⅔ cup) cold unsalted butter, cubed

• 2 tbsp capers, drained

• Small handful fresh parsley, chopped

• Salt & pepper, to taste

Method

• Pat the fish fillets dry and season generously with Cajun spice.

• Heat oil or butter in a skillet and cook fish for 3–4 minutes per side, until golden and just cooked through. Keep warm.

• In a large saucepan, heat oil or butter. Add onion and cook until softened.

• Stir in rice, coating well in the oil.

• Pour in stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15–18 minutes, until rice is tender and fluffy. Season with salt and pepper.

• Serve fish over a bed of rice with lemon wedges on the side.

Variations

• Swap rice for wild rice from Manitoba or northern Ontario for a nutty Canadian twist.

• Add bell peppers and celery to the rice for a jambalaya-style version.

• Use cod, whitefish, or Arctic char to highlight regional catches.