I absolutely love a simple fish dinner on a busy night, but I often get tired of doing it the same way over and over again. While I love techniques I use in my baked snapper and my whole fish, this Mediterranean-style fish is a new favourite of mine.
Topped with a jammy mixture of fresh tomato and a few spices and herbs, it’s an easy meal that’s ready in about half an hour – about a good portion of that time is inactive while it’s in the oven!
How to Make Mediterranean-Style Fish
The great thing about this recipe is that you can really use whatever kind of firm white fish you’d like – I used barramundi when developing the recipe but go ahead and use sea bass, halibut, cod, haddock or anything else!
Start by seasoning your fish fillet generously with salt and pepper and set it aside while you get the sauce together.
For this, add some roughly chopped garlic, a couple of anchovy fillets and some chili flakes to a large skillet with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.
Set the pan over medium heat and stir until the anchovies begin to dissolve and the garlic is bubbling.
Then, add some thinly sliced shallots and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring every so often, until the shallots are softened.
Now, add a bit of cumin, smoked paprika and lemon zest and cook just until fragrant before adding some diced fresh tomatoes and a good amount of fresh oregano.
Season with a generous grind of black pepper and cook, stirring frequently, just until the tomatoes begin to break down and release their moisture.
Add the fish to a parchment-lined baking tray and spoon the tomato mixture over it. Then, move it to a 180°C/350°F oven.
Cook the fish until the internal temperature registers at 55°C/130°F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted at the thickest point – about 15 minutes.
Then, all you need to do is serve and enjoy! It would go great with a side of sauteed greens or a quick salad like my corn & lentil salad.
Mediterranean White Fish
Equipment
Ingredients
- 300 g (10 ½ oz) firm white fish
- 3 cloves garlic sliced or roughly chopped
- 2 anchovy fillets roughly chopped
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano minced (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet along with the garlic, anchovies & chili flakes. Set over medium heat and, sitrring frequently, allow the anchovies to dissolve – about 2-3 minutes.
- Before the garlic begins to brown, add the shallots along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are softened – about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cumin, smoked paprika, lemon zest and a generous grind of pepper. Cook until fragrant – about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and oregano. Cook for about 5 more minutes, just until the tomatoes begin to break down and release their moisture.
- Add the fish to a parchment-lined baking tray. Spoon the tomato mixture over the fish and move to the oven. Cook until the internal temperature of the fish registers at 55°C/130°F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted at the thickest point – about 15 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
As you can see, this recipe is packed with flavour and is really quick and easy to make – perfect if you want a delicious but simple dinner on a busy weeknight!
Are you looking for a great Mediterranean fish recipe? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
