Halibut Puttanesca

Fish recipes.  Why is it so hard to convince ourselves that fish recipes are the perfect choice for quick and easy weeknight meals?  For some reason, cooking fish just seems like a daunting task.  Chicken - we know what to do with that.  Ground beef - easy peasy.  But we tend to get a little freaked out about fish recipes and it's easy to talk ourselves out it and grab a package of ground  beef instead.  This is what runs through my head when I plan to cook a fish recipe: How do I even cook fish?  How will I know when it's done?  Will anyone even like it?  

I get it.  I'm with you on the uncertain feelings that come with fish recipes - and I cook fish at least once a week.  It's still hard for me even to look at a fish in the seafood counter and envision myself cooking it up for dinner.  🐟 The weird thing is that I LOVE fish - all seafood for that matter - so I don't know why I get anxious about cooking it.  

Some fish recipes just seem too good to be true.  Can I really just sprinkle my fish with a little salt and pepper, drizzle it with lemon and stick it in the oven to bake?  My brain tries to tell me that a good fish recipe really can't be that simplistic and that I need to put more effort into it to make it taste good.  The reality is that the less I do to my fish - the better it turns out.  (The less is more strategy works for most of my recipes, really.)  💁🏻‍♀️

Halibut is one of my very favorite types of fish to cook.  It's a flaky white fish but it still has some "beef" to it.  I feel like I've eaten a meal when I finish a halibut filet. 😅  This Halibut Puttanesca is one of the easiest ways to cook it.  It's simple, it's quick and it's super delicious.  

Halibut Puttanesca
4 halibut filets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 shallot, minced
5 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 Tablespoons anchovy paste
2 teaspoons oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
​1/4 cup fresh parsley 

Sprinkle halibut with salt and pepper. 

Whisk together oil, shallot, garlic, anchovy paste, oregano and red pepper flakes.  Cook 4 minutes. 

Stir in tomatoes and olives.

Nestle halibut into sauce.  Bring to simmer.

Transfer skillet to 375 degree oven and bake 13-16 minutes.  

Transfer halibut to plates.  Spoon sauce over fish and sprinkle with parsley.

A simple green salad and a slice of whole wheat bread ​was all that I served with this delicious halibut.  (The bread was super handy to soak up all the extra delicious sauce that I didn't want to go to waste.)  😉   

Ciao!

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