I’m very lucky to have a fantastic fish monger right across the street from my home in Rome. Not only does he have super fresh fish, he will also clean it and even fillet whatever I choose. This makes getting dinner on the table even easier.
The most difficult part of this process is choosing which fish to cook. Last week he had mackerel so I grabbed them right away. They are usually the first to sell out for two very good reasons. They are delicious. And they are also very affordable. At 9 Euros a kilo they are usually the least expensive fish he sells. They are also sustainable and not farmed. AND a great source of Omega 3’s which are supposed to be good for you.
Here is one of my go to recipes for any type of meaty fish fillet. If you end up making this with a more tender fish, like cod or hake, just cut the cooking time a bit. And of course it’s be great with sword fish.
I served it with black rice and a green salad and it was a perfect dinner. I thought I’d have leftovers the next day for lunch but it was so good we ate it all.
Braised Fish with Olives
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 2
I made this recipe with mackerel, which was perfect. But feel free to sub in any other meaty fish fillet. It works well with frozen fish fillets too. I usually just add the frozen fillets without thawing them out. They just take an extra five minutes or so to cook.
Ingredients
- 1 red onion, sliced thinly
- 1/4 tsp pepperincino
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds / 1 kilo mackerel fillets
- 1 cup white wine (I actually used leftover prosecco)
- 1/2 cup good quality green or black olives (I like castelvetrano)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
Instructions
Pour the olive oil in a saute pan large enough to hold all of the fish fillets in one layer.
Add the red pepper flakes and onion and let soften. Then add the garlic and let cook another minute.
Place the fish atop the cooked onions, and season with salt and pepper. Add the olives
Add the white wine, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and cover. Let cook for about 8 minutes.
Take the lid off and let the accumulated liquid cook away a bit.
Turn off heat, add parsley and serve.
If you’re feeling fishy, here are a few more recipes you might like:
Fish and Potatoes
Fish wrapped in Paper
Octopus in its own Water
And if you’d like to eat some fish with us in person, we still have a few spots left for Week in Puglia and Basilicata April 17-22, 2023.
Love both the fish with olives and the fish in paper. We started cooking fish at home a few years ago (when a pair of reliable fishmongers showed up at our markets), but it took a while to get the hang of keeping things ultra simple like you do here. It really is so easy–all the hard work is done before we even get started.
Hello
The recipe is incomplete ,missing the flakes and onions
Ken
red pepper is in the recipe? Also the onions. Not sure what you’re referring to?
This recipe looks like a keeper. Not that it really matters, but are the garlic cloves sliced or chopped?
Either works, but I usually slice thinly.
Looks wonderful, Elizabeth! Bookmarked for a dinner real soon.