The secret to perfectly cooked fish, courtesy of a Charleston chef

Welcome to Clubhouse Eats, where we celebrate the game’s most delectable food and drink. Hope you brought your appetite.

***

With spring in bloom and summer around the corner, lighter fare typically becomes the dish du jour. That means heartier proteins are about to give way to staples from la mer.

Although prized for their delicacy, so many species of fish are challenging to cook for that same reason. This is why we sought the advice of Mike Lata, who serves as the executive chef at B-Liner, an eatery at The Beach Club at Kiawah Island that’s draped in a causal elegance and exemplifies Chef Lata’s expertise in cooking seafood.

As a Massachusetts native who worked as a young chef first in Boston and on Martha’s Vineyard, Lata embraces Charleston’s fervent obsession with seafood.

“It’s the only wild food that we eat,” he says. “And when the boats come in, we always ask the same question: ‘What are we cooking today? What did the sea give us?’” That philosophical approach to cooking and sourcing seafood has allowed Chef Lata to develop an expertise in identifying quality and diversifying his cooking style to showcase it.

When it comes to cooking fish, there’s generally one method that the chef leans on more than all others: slow cooking in the oven. Yes, there’s a time and a place for a good sear — fresh tuna steaks, swordfish steaks, cobia, or wahoo all shine when they’re grilled, for example — and pan roasting a thick-cut grouper filet can produce divine results when it’s well executed. But therein lies the rub.

“The hotter the heat, the easier it is to overcook and screw up your fish,” Chef Lata says. “You don’t need to sear it. You don’t need to caramelize it on the grill. In many cases, caramelizing dries out the exterior of the fish, so even if the interior of the fish is cooked properly, you’re compromising the outer part of the fish by giving it too high heat. You’re drying it out, and it won’t reabsorb the moisture as it rests.”

So Lata utilizes a slow-baking method. Starting with a casserole or gratin dish, he puts down a layer of freshly sliced tomatoes sprinkled with salt, pepper, and chili flakes — or perhaps some peppers that he’s cooked down in a sauté pan earlier in the day. Next, he covers those vegetables with the fish filets, then covers the fish with orange or lemon slices and fresh herbs, such as thyme. When the contents of the dish are close to room temperature, he’ll add “a splash of wine, a glug of olive oil, or a couple knobs of butter with some fresh herbs,” and then bakes it until a cake tester or toothpick can easily penetrate the meat without resistance.

When it’s done, you can let the dish rest on the countertop without fear of residual heat overcooking the fish. “It’s not going to get ruined in the next 10 minutes because you cooked it respectfully,” Lata explains. “You pull it out of the oven, you garnish it, and you either plate it or put it on the table. It’s brilliant.

“The higher the quality of the fish, the more successful this method becomes,” he continues. “You’re really experiencing the natural texture and flavor of the fish.”

Not only does this cooking preparation showcase the best attributes of the protein, it also eliminates many of the stresses that come with cooking at home — especially if you’re hosting guests. “If you want to find success in the kitchen — be it with fish or anything else — take everything that you don’t need to do at the last minute, which is almost everything, and get it done ahead of time,” the chef advises. “The biggest mistake that I see when people are cooking at home is that they think that a la minute is the way to go. Everything waits until the last second, and that’s where the disaster happens.”

As for the perfect accoutrement for the fish that you’ve just baked, Chef Lata has a go-to favorite: a lemon, caper, and brown butter sauce (recipe below).

“I’ve eaten and served so much fish in my life, and this sauce adds just the right note to allow you to experience the fish and have it be extremely flavorful,” he says. In fact, the chef likens it to a great-fitting pair of jeans and your favorite cashmere sweater. “It always feels good.”

By following Chef Lata’s advice for cooking fish slowly in a low-temperature oven, you’ll be well on your way to experiencing similar feelings every time you whip up a seafood entree for dinner. Of that, the chef is supremely confident. “If you can cook fish well and serve it to your family or guests,” he says, “it’s such a win.”

Lemon, Caper, Brown Butter Sauce

Courtesy of Chef Mike Lata at B-Liner (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 small shallot, finely minced
2 tbsp. capers, drained
2 tbsp. dry white wine
Lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
Lemon zest (from 1/2 lemon)
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Brown the butter: Add the butter to a small cold skillet, then place it on the burner over medium heat and melt the butter. Let the butter foam and begin to brown, swirling occasionally. Watch for golden flecks and a nutty aroma (about 2 to 3 minutes).

Add shallots and capers: Just before the butter gets too dark, add the shallots and cappers. They’ll sizzle and soften quickly (about 30 seconds).

Add wine and lemon juice: Pour in the white wine and lemon juice to stop the browning process. It’ll bubble up and lift the flavor. Bring the liquid to a simmer.

Finish: Add lemon zest, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the parsley. Spoon over hot fish and serve immediately.