Here is a favorite Italian seafood dish that I love to make for my pescatarian clients and friends.
INGREDIENTS
• Olive oil and a tablespoon or two of butter.
• 4 to 6 – 4” square Halibut filets – skin on or off is your preference
• ½ onion chopped or 2 chopped shallots
• 6 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 tsp or a dash of red Chile pepper flakes
• 2-3 slices of prosciutto diced (eliminate for pescatarians)
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes sliced lengthwise or as many as you want to fill your pan
• 1/3 cup of dry white wine
• 1/3 cup of Kalamata olives
• 1/3 cup of rinsed capers
• ¼ cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
• zest of ½ a lemon
• Kosher salt and finely ground fresh pepper
• Tsp of fresh chopped thyme
• 1 tbsp of chopped fresh flat leaf Italian parsley
• Lemon wedge for garnish
PREPARATION
• Dry your filets and salt and pepper all sides.
• In a high-sided saucepan set over medium high heat warm the olive oil and butter. Brown the fish on both sides for about 2 minutes so it has a nice golden color. Remove from the pan and set on a clean plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
• In the same skillet add the onion or shallots and the garlic and cook until translucent and soft. Then sprinkle in the red Chile flakes.
• Next add your prosciutto if desired and let this cook and crisp up slightly.
• Now toss in your cherry tomatoes and white wine and let the tomatoes cook and soften about 7-10 minutes.
• Add the Kalamata olives, capers, and lemon juice along with the lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste and cook this all down into a nice sauce.
• Let this simmer and thicken up and then nestle the halibut filets back in adding some of the tomato sauce over the top of the fish so the fish is covered.
• Cook the fish about 5 minutes with a cover on the pan to basically steam the fish.
• Serve immediately and garnish with the chopped Italian parsley, sprinkles of the red Chile pepper flakes and a lemon wedge. Serve over my homemade pasta (see Chapter 3).