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One of the five sauces that follow

Whisk the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat; or heat the skillet, then swirl in the oil.

Pat the fillets dry with paper towels; then dredge them in the flour mixture, coating both sides well and shaking off the excess flour. Slip them into the pan.

Cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until lightly browned on the other side, until the thin part of the fillet flakes when gently scraped with a fork, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to four serving plates or a serving platter; tent with aluminum foil to keep warm, if desired; and make the sauce in the same skillet.

1. With Pistachios, Red Wine, and Cherries

2 tablespoons shelled pistachios (see Note)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 small red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup dry red wine

1 cup pitted halved sweet cherries, such as Bing or Rainier cherries, or jarred, pitted sweet cherries

¼ cup vegetable or fish broth

¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 teaspoons stemmed thyme

Toast the pistachios in the skillet over medium heat until lightly browned. Pour into a small bowl.

Melt the butter in the skillet. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until soft, about 2 minutes.

Pour in the wine, scraping up any browned bits on the pan’s bottom. Raise the heat to medium-high, bring the wine to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute.

Add the cherries and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute.

Stir in the pistachios, remove from the heat, and check the sauce to see if it needs any salt. Spoon over the fillets; sprinkle each fillet with ½ teaspoon thyme.

Note: If you can only find salted pistachios in their shells, omit the salt from the recipe.

Variations: Substitute pecan pieces, walnut pieces, or sliced almonds for the pistachios.

Add ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the flour mixture.

Substitute olive oil for the butter; also substitute dry vermouth or white wine for the red wine.

Substitute oregano or marjoram for the thyme.

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Skin On or Off?

Most fillets are sold skinless. That said, you can sometimes find them with their skin on; preparing them that way is largely a matter of taste. The skin can add a lot of briny taste, but it won’t crisp in some sautés. To cook, score the skin with a knife, making two or three shallow, diagonal cuts, slicing only the skin and the white film underneath, never the meat itself. Start these fillets in the pan skin side down, cooking them a minute or so longer than required in the recipe; then turn and continue cooking skin side up for about 1 minute.

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2. With Oranges and Rosemary

2 medium navel oranges (see Note)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped rosemary leaves

1/3 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth

¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Slice ½ inch off the bottom of each orange, just so they will stand flat on your work surface. Use a sharp knife to cut around the natural curve of the oranges, thereby slicing off the orange peel and white pith underneath, exposing the orange flesh. Slice off any extraneous bits of rind or pith.

Hold the skinned orange over a medium bowl. Use a paring knife to cut down between the membranes, releasing the sections into the bowl and catching any juice. Once all the sections have been removed, squeeze the membranes over the bowl to extra any last drops of juice. Pick out any seeds and set the orange supremes and their juice aside.

Swirl the olive oil into the skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 2 minutes.

Add the rosemary, wine or vermouth, orange, and any juice in the bowl. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and spoon over the fillets.

Note: It’s best to do the first two steps of this sauce (segmenting and juicing the orange) before you sauté the fillets.

Variations: Substitute 1 large pink grapefruit for