parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust for acid and salt.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large ovenproof
sauté pan (large enough to hold 4 fish fillets; or use 2 pans), set it
on the stove, and bring the heat up to high. Season both sides of
the fish with salt and pepper. When the oil is smoking, carefully
lay the fish skin side down into the oil away from you, and press
down with a spatula so that the skin touches the pan evenly. (The
fish will curl as it cooks, so keep pressing.)
Put the pan in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the fish is
cooked through (it will go from translucent to opaque), and then
return it to the burner over medium heat. Add the butter (1
tablespoon per fillet), thyme (a few sprigs per fillet), and garlic (1
clove per fish) and baste the fillets with the juices.
Plate the fennel salad on 4 plates and place the fish alongside,
spooning the sauce on top. Serve with more lemon juice.