Fast & Fresh Rockfish
The first Wednesday of the month again? And how did it get to be NOVEMBER?? Yikes. Time flies when you are having fun for sure. But it’s already Thanksgiving month? What happened to October?
I’m posting a short, sweet post today – basically a recipe I made up and turned into a one pot dinner the other day.
I’d been to Uwajamaya to buy a hunk of salmon for our out -of -town visitors. As I gazed at the fresh seafood and fish, I longed for something easy to prepare for dinner that night as well. Petrale sole, my “go-to” fish, wasn’t shipped that day. Halibut was frozen. But the rockfish filets looked fresh and perfect – not so thin that they would fall apart but not so thick that it would take a long time to bake either.
Once home, I became resourceful. Out came an oval baking dish. I smeared coconut oil inside and loaded the bottom of the porcelain vessel with about 4 cups of fresh baby spinach from the farmers market. Then I sprinkled in some fresh sprigs of tarragon – the last of the year’s harvest (Sigh … another sign that winter is coming…). Slivers from a quarter of a yellow pepper and a quarter of a small onion found a home amongst the spinach leaves. I even grated a little lime zest on top of the spinach, and poured about two tablespoons of dry vermouth on top (I always have this in my refrigerator).
I carefully removed the few bones from the rockfish filets with my designated kitchen tweezers. On top of the spinach mixture they went. A few heirloom cherry tomatoes were rolling around my vegetable drawer so they hit the chopping block and were cut in half and nestled around the fish. Lots of salt, fresh cracked pepper, some smoked paprika…the juice of half of a lime, and some slices of lime. Done. I covered the pan with foil and baked everything together in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes until the fish was opaque and flakey. The final flourish? A drizzle of browned butter.
Spooned over some previously served and reheated brown rice pilaf, I hit a “home run.” The spinach and vegetables wilted and were the perfect accompaniment for the subtle fish and brown rice which soaked up the juices and gave it texture. Fresh, flavorful and perfect for the first week of November.
I’ll be making this again this winter!
