friday night fish (on a tuesday)

This is my variation of a Moroccan specialty. Easy to make–prepared in under an hour–it is packed with flavor. Get a great piece of fish from your fishmonger–make sure it’s really fresh. Rings of multi-colored bell peppers, red onion, and plenty of garlic mingle with tomato and Harissa, a spicy Moroccan red pepper paste, which adds a punch. A pinch of saffron and smoked paprika round out this dish and will leave your taste buds tingling. This colorful dish looks real pretty too.

Moroccan Fish with Peppers 

I strongly believe in developing good relationships with your produce guy, butcher and fishmonger; being friendly definitely pays off. They’ll always find that new shipment in the back for you, give you the best cut of meat, or clue you into which fish is freshest today. Any firm-fleshed whitefish fillet will work here: cod, scrod–I like to use halibut for its delicate flavor and flakiness.

Begin by slicing a few multi-colored bell peppers and one red onion into rings. Smash 4 to 6  cloves of garlic. In a large saute pan, heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and sauté the vegetables. Put a large pinch of Spanish saffron into a small bowl and add a bit of warm water to “bloom” it.

When the vegetables are translucent, add the saffron water, either a few sliced fresh plum tomatoes or roughly chopped canned peeled tomatoes with a bit of their juice, 2 tablespoons tomato paste (I like to use the imported Italian variety from the tube), 2 teaspoons harissa, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. If you don’t have harissa, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons sweet paprika. Stir until vegetables are well coated with spices and sauce.

Nestle the seasoned fish in among the vegetables in the pan, turn the heat down to low to medium-low and cover. Let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and flaky. I like to put the whole fillet in the pan and then portion it after it has cooked. If you prefer to cook individual fillets, adjust your cooking time–smaller fillets will probably cook in about 10 minutes. When the fish is ready, add the juice of 1 to 2 lemons and sprinkle in 2 tablespoons each of minced  parsley and cilantro.

Spoon plenty of the sauce and vegetables over the fillets when you serve them. Cooked farro makes a lovely accompaniment to this dish–I dress mine with fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.  Scrumptious!

Serves 4:

1 1/2 pounds halibut, cod or scrod fillets
2 to 3 multi-colored bell peppers
1 red onion
large pinch of Spanish saffron
2 to 3 fresh plum tomatoes, sliced, or roughly chopped canned peeled tomatoes with a bit of their juice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons harissa, or substitute 1/2 teaspoon cayenne and 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 to 2 lemons
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 tablespoons minced cilantro

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