Rockfish Mediterranee

prep time:: 10 min
total time:: 30 min

Serves 4

One summer while vacation in Canada we caught a lot of rockfish – Blacks, Quillbacks, and Coppers. We were tiring of variations of pan-fried rockfish, so I invented this recipe. It takes some of my favorite flavors of the Mediterranean, e.g., capers, olives, basil and mixes it well with fish. It became an instant hit by all and was requested often thereafter. I serve the fish on top of a bed of cooked pasta that is mixed with parsley, garlic, pepper, and basil. It is an attractive, elegant dish that tastes great.

ingredients

Cajun seasoning

1/4 t ground white pepper
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t ground black pepper
1 t salt
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t dried thyme.

Rockfish Mediterranee

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 C tomato, chopped with juices (2 small/medium tomatoes)
1 tbsp capers
3 tbsp green olives with pimentos, sliced
1 tsp oregano, dried
1 tsp basil, dried
1/2 tsp mint, dried
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sweet vermouth/mirin
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
2 rockfish or other whitefish fillets
4 C cooked pasta

directions

1
Heat skillet with butter over medium heat; add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are just starting to brown. Add remaining ingredients (tomatoes, capers, herbs, spices, vermouth, etc.) except for fish and cook for 5 or 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. This should make a rich, aromatic, tomato sauce. Gently place the fish fillets on top of the bubbling tomato sauce, cover and let the fish steam for 5-7 minutes without disturbing. Do not overcook fish! Fish should just be opaque and just wanting to barely fall apart.
2
Cook pasta. You can serve the fish on top of plain pasta, or for a variation: when pasta is just al dente, add 1 T of olive oil, 1 T of chopped fresh parsley, 1 t dried oregano, 1 t of black pepper, and 1 t of dried basil and mix well. Arrange pasta on top of plate and gently place a fish fillet on top of pasta. Spoon sauce over fish and pasta and serve with a fresh green salad. Traditionally you always think a white wine goes best with fish, well a nice dark Chianti or cabernet has nicely accompanied this dish.