So Many Dishes

I’m not one to turn down an opportunity to cook or eat seafood, so when Ken suggested we put “some Mediterranean fish recipe” on this week’s menu, I was very happy to oblige. After looking through a number of cookbooks, I went back to my favorite source for fish recipes, The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Nancy Harmon Jenkins.

There are so many creative and delicious ways to cook fish in this book, and the recipe I chose is one of the most versatile. It’s called Southern Italian Baked Fish with Capers and Olives, and the headnote lists 10 different fish that would be appropriate. It’s simple: a sauce based on tomatoes, capers, and chopped olives that is spread across a thick fillet or fish steak, topped with breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil, and baked. It couldn’t be much easier.

Cooking fish usually involves a trip to Whole Foods, since that’s our best source for fresh fish, other than salmon. I’m not a huge fan of the seafood selection at Publix. Too many of its fish selections are sold as “portions,” precut pieces that don’t always look that fresh. Plus, Whole Foods is good about listing the source of the fish, and where it falls on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch in terms of sustainability. The tilefish looked perfect for the dish, and indeed it was. It has almost a sweet flavor that worked really well with the sauce.

I only made two changes to the recipe. We know that three-quarters of a pound of fish is perfect for the two of us, so that’s what I cooked. However, I made the full recipe of sauce. I know, it’s my modus operandi. As wonderful as the fish was, I’d have been happy eating just the sauce. The other change was to use Kalamata olives in place of the imported Italian green olives called for. We always have kalamatas in the refrigerator, and although we could have gotten green olives while we were at Whole Foods, we opted to stick with our favorites.

Of course, a trip to Whole Foods also meant that we came home with a loaf of Zak the Baker bread. I’ve mentioned Zak before; this is a kosher bakery in Miami that sells bread through the southeast Florida Whole Foods. Ken’s choice, which I readily agreed to, was walnut and cranberry sourdough. I sliced the bread to serve on the side, and also steamed some broccoli. This may be one of the best breads I’ve ever tasted. The entire meal was yummy, and, except for the rest of the loaf, we ate everything.

Southern Italian Baked Fish with Capers and Olives

• 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds boneless fish
• 1 cup very ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded, or 1 cup drained canned tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon drained capers, rinsed
• 1/4 cup chopped pitted green olives (kalamata olives work fine)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup unseasoned dried breadcrumbs (I used less than 1/4 cup)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use a teaspoon of the olive oil to coat the inside of a baking dish large enough to hold all of the fish in one layer. Place the fish in it.

Chop the tomatoes and mix with the sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add the capers and olives and mix again. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired. Place the tomato mixture on top of the fish. Distribute the breadcrumbs over the top and drizzle with the remaining oil. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fish is thoroughly cooked, the sauce is bubbly and browned. Makes 6 servings.

Happy eating!