Prep time 10 min Cook time 20 min
A one-pan Mediteranean fish recipe cooked in a light fresh tomato sauce with a little garlic and capers, garnished with shredded basil.
Since I arrived in America in 2006 my experience of the country has been limited to Washington DC, New York and San Fransisco. Now that Marcelle has retired, we decided to start exploring new states and after a recent board meeting held in Portland Maine we headed up the coast for ten days.
The first thing that struck me was the quality of the air. Unlike most of the salty and moisture laden sea air I have experienced around the Mediterranean and the Pacific Ocean, early summer air on the Maine coast is clean and cool and clears the head & lungs. A little like inhaling a very mild mint lozenge.
With cold weather blanketing most of the year, “Mainahs” have developed a down to earth individuality that I assume comes from weathering the often harsh climate. The long, cold winters must also explain the boundless creativity we saw everywhere with beautiful works by potters, artists, wood carvers and sculptors.
Then there is the food. Clean simple and superbly fresh lobster (pronounced “lobstah), clams, briny oysters and fish often cooked in their own juices or poached to retain their natural flavors. The event that will always remind me of the trip was a visit to a local sea food wholesalers we discovered in Winter Harbor. DC Air and Sea Food supplies fish to restaurants in the region and nationally but has a modest shop that caters to the local community. The sign that caught our attention was “Fresh Halibut for sale” and when we walked in we were warmly greeted by two heavily tattooed women.
“I think we have one left in the back” said the manager and sure enough in came a husky looking fisherman a few minutes later carrying a fresh 50lb Halibut on his shoulder and promptly dropped it on a large marble slab.
Anthony Bourdain spent his life opening the window to all aspects of culture around food, it’s traditions and cooking as well as shining a light on the wonderful, hard working and dedicated professionals who get on with the work of bringing nature’s bounty to our table. 
Watching how one of the women filleted that huge fish with surgical precision was such a moment. We left a little startled at the spectacle we witnessed and eager to get home to cook our chunk of halibut for dinner.
We were staying at a friend’s cottage so we wanted to keep the recipe simple. One of my favorites is a one-pan Mediteranean recipe, seared fish cooked in a light fresh tomato sauce with a little garlic and capers, garnished with shredded basil. It doesn’t get any healthier than that and takes less than 30 minutes to prep and cook.
Seared halibut with tomato caper sauce
by
Derek Farwagi
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (divide)
- 1 tbsp unslated butter
- 2 halibut steaks (or any white fish)
- 1 large shallot
- 2 plump garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp capers, drained, rinsed and finely chopped or mashed with the garlic in a mortar and pestle
- ½ 14oz can diced tomatoes
- Pinch sugar
- 1 tspn chopped fresh thyme leaves
- Palmful slivered fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and sear skinned halibut steaks for 3 minutes each side ( thicker steaks may need longer so cook until fillets start flaking) . Set aside and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.
- In the same skillet add the rest of the olive oil and add the onion. Cook, stirring often until tender - about three to five minutes then add the mashed garlic and the capers. Give them a quick stir to release the flavors.
- Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Stir in the thyme, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce is thick and fragrant. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add the fish back to the sauce and heat for a minute each side the add half the shredded basil and stir for a further minute.
- Place a spoonful of sauce on each plate, and place a piece of fish partially on top. Garnish with the rest of the basil leaves and serve.
Karen Dance
Excellent! I used a whole can of tomatoes because I didn’t know what to do with the rest of the can and we like sauce. I also added 1/3 cup chopped Kalamata olives and a pinch of red pepper flakes. It was super, would definitely make it again.
Pamela
Thank you for this delicious recipe! We enjoyed it immensely. The flavors in the sauce were wonderful and I look forward to using it in several different dishes. Thanks again!
Derek Farwagi
Pamela. I really appreciated your feedback and glad you enjoyed the dish.