Light Idea
FOCUS ON HEALTHY EATING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH THREE SAVORY FISH DISHES.
Eating light after the holidays does not have to entail suffering flavorless food. Seafood is the perfect place to start. We boost the relatively mild flavor of fish with potent pantry staples for quick, substantial meals that are anything but bland. A single teaspoon of anchovies adds richness to cod fillets poached in tomato broth, which we spike with briny capers and olives. Balsamic vinegar adds punch to a lightly buttery sauce for a one-skillet snapper with green beans and cherry tomatoes. And a quick soy sauce marinade seasons salmon throughout; while the fish marinates, we make a quick salad of avocado, pickled sweet peppers, and cilantro.
Fish Poached in Tomato-Garlic Broth MAKES 4 SERVINGS
There are many versions of pesce all’acqua pazza, or “fish in crazy water,” but all involve poaching or simmering fish in a tomato broth or sauce. For our version, anchovies, black olives, and capers bring bold, punchy flavor to mild-flavored fillets. Though this recipe calls for cod, any firm, meaty, whitefleshed fish would work.
Don’t worry if the cod at the grocery store is sold as a single fillet. Cut the fillet into as many pieces of a similar thickness as you need for even cooking —it may be as many as five or six — and if some pieces are very thin, fold them in half or in thirds to approximate the thickness of the other solid pieces. When cooking the fish, check it frequently for doneness and remove the pieces as they are done.
Be sure to have some crusty bread for serving — or even better, toast some baguette slices, then rub them with garlic and brush them with olive oil.
4 6- to 8-ounce skinless cod fillets
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped anchovy fillets
4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
½ cup dry white wine
1 pound grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
2 tablespoons drained capers
1⁄3 cup torn fresh basil leaves
Season the cod fillets on both sides with salt and pepper. In a 12-inch skillet set over medium heat, warm the oil until shimmering. Add the anchovies and cook, stirring and mashing, until the bits dissolve, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic begins to brown, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt, then cover and reduce to medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until the onion is softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
Pour in the wine, bring to a simmer over mediumhigh heat, and cook, uncovered, until the liquid is almost fully evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until they begin to break down, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup water, the olives, and the capers, then bring to a simmer.
Nestle the fish in a single layer in the sauce and reduce the heat to mediumlow. Cover and cook until
the center of the fillets reaches 120 degrees or the flesh flakes easily when cut, 5 to 8 minutes. Use a slotted spatula to transfer them to individual bowls or plates.
Set the skillet over medium-high and cook the sauce, stirring, until thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Spoon around the fish, dividing it evenly, then sprinkle with the basil and black pepper.
Sautéed Snapper With Green Beans, Tomatoes, and Balsamic Vinegar MAKES 4 SERVINGS
In French Food at Home, Laura Calder shares a recipe for a simple yet elegant one-skillet, six-ingredient (not counting the salt and pepper) sautéed fish supper. Our riff yields a slightly more substantial vegetable accompaniment to serve with the fillets but is equally easy to prepare. We like green beans, but if you prefer, use pencil-thin asparagus instead.
Red snapper is a mild, firm-textured white fish that holds up nicely to sautéing. Flounder is a good alternative, as it typically is of the same thickness as snapper. Halibut works nicely, too, but the fillets are thicker and therefore require a few more minutes in the pan.
Don’t fuss with the fish once it’s in the skillet. Allowing the fillets to cook undisturbed for a few minutes gives them a chance to develop a well-browned crust. To flip each one, slide a metal spatula underneath and, as you turn it, support the fillet with your free hand. Gentle handling helps prevent the flaky flesh from breaking.
4 6-ounce skinless red snapper fillets (½- to 1-inch thick)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons salted butter, cut into 2 pieces
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of oil until shimmering.
Add the beans and cook, stirring only once or twice, until spottily browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to char and burst and the beans are tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter.
In the same skillet over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering. Add the fillets skin side up and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, flip each fillet, then add the butter while swirling the pan. Cook over medium-high heat, occasionally basting the fish with the fat, until the fillets are opaque throughout, about another 3 minutes. Using the spatula, place the fillets on top of the vegetables.
Set the skillet over medium heat, add the vinegar, and cook, stirring to combine with the fat, just until heated through, 30 to 60 seconds. Pour the mixture over the fish.
Foil-Wrapped Salmon With Avocado and Cilantro Salad MAKES 4 SERVINGS
This unusual cooking method for salmon ensures moist, evenly cooked fillets prepared to medium doneness, but doesn’t make a mess on the stove top, nor does it require firing up the oven. Fillets that are 1- to 1¼-inches thick work best; if yours are thinner or thicker, or if you prefer your salmon rarer or more fully cooked than medium, adjust the cooking time down or up, respectively.
While the salmon marinates, prepare the fresh, colorful avocado salad for serving alongside.
4 6-ounce center-cut salmon fillets (1- to 1¼-inches thick)
¼ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced
2 cups lightly packed fresh cilantro
¼ cup pickled sweet peppers, patted dry and thinly sliced, plus 1 tablespoon pickling liquid
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
In a pie plate, marinate the fillets, skin up, in the soy sauce for 15 minutes. In a medium bowl, toss the oil, mustard, avocado, and cilantro with the peppers and liquid; season with salt and pepper.
Warm a 12-inch heavyweight skillet over high heat for 5 minutes. Place the salmon skin side down on a lightly oiled 18-inch sheet of heavy-duty foil. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with pepper. Cover with another sheet of foil and crimp the edges. Set the packet in the skillet, reduce to medium-high heat, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the packet and cool for 5 minutes. Serve with the salad.