Roasted Halibut with Tomatoes, Peppers, Olives and Almonds

Healthy Roasted Halibut with Tomatoes, Peppers, Olive and Almonds ~ it’s like putting a pan of Mediterranean sunshine on the dinner table, but it’s a lot more delicious.  Roasting is the best way to cook a firm white fish like halibut, it comes out tender, juicy, and so darned pretty!

Ingredients

1 1/3 lbs ripe plum tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1/3 cup white wine

1-2 Tbsp tomato paste (the kind in the tube is handy)

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 lb Norwegian or Pacific halibut fillet

2 bell peppers, seeded and sliced (I used 1/2 of 4 different color peppers)

handful of olives, I used Castelvetrano

2 Tbsp capers, drained

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 cup slivered almonds

1 Meyer lemon, cut in wedges

1 Tbsp butter

garnish

handful fresh chopped parsley

very thinly sliced red onion slivers

olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F

Rinse and chop the tomatoes into large chunks. Put them into a food processor with the garlic, and pulse/process them until pureed, but they don’t have to be super smooth, some texture is good.

Put the tomatoes in a skillet and bring up to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium and add the wine and paste. Let it cook for about 15 minutes at a gentle bubble, so it can thicken. Taste and season well with salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce into the bottom of your baking pan. Top with the fish. Add the sliced peppers, olives, capers, fennel seeds, almonds and lemon wedges around the fish and nestle everything into the sauce.

Dot the fish with butter and loosely cover with foil. Bake for 40 minutes, removing the foil half way through. Finish the dish under the broiler for some last minute color.

Top the fish with the parsley and onions, drizzle with good olive oil, shower with fresh cracked black pepper and serve.

I was actually out of tomato paste and used my Harissa paste (also in a tube) which made this sauce deliciously spicy.  If you love harissa, give it a try in this recipe.

If you love fresh basil, you could add it to the the tomato sauce when you add it to the pan.  (Don’t cook it beforehand.)

I like to soak the raw onions in cold water while the fish bakes, this helps to take the sting out of their flavor.  Dry on paper towels before topping the fish.

Recipe inspired by and adapted from Bon Appétit

Download Recipe Here