Sauteed Fish with Tomato-Pepper Sauce Recipe

A modified version of the traditional Venezuelan corbullón de mero, this adaptation uses any firm white fish and ingredients that are easy to find in the grocery store.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (60 milliliters) canola oil, divided
1 cup chopped tomato
1½ cups chopped red bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped red cherry peppers
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon creole seasoning
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) dry red wine, such as cabernet sauvignon
16 ounces firm white fish, cut into 4 pieces (4 ounces each)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
8 small pimento stuffed olives, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Before you begin: Wash your hands.

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds, then add 2 tablespoons canola oil.
2. Add tomato, bell pepper, cherry peppers and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep garlic from sticking.
3. Transfer the tomato-pepper mixture to a food processor or blender.
4. Add thyme, creole seasoning and red wine, then blend until smooth. Set aside.
5. Use a paper towel to pat fish dry, then sprinkle each piece with equal amounts of black pepper.
6. In the same skillet used to cook tomato-pepper mixture, add the remaining 2 tablespoons canola oil and heat over medium heat for 30 seconds.
7. Add onion, then nestle fish fillets in onions. Sauté for 5 minutes without moving fish.
8. Pour tomato-pepper mixture into the skillet, surrounding but not covering the top of the fish with the sauce.
9. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. Fish should reach an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) and easily flake with a fork.
10. To serve, remove fish with a spatula and spoon sauce around the serving dish. Garnish with olives and cilantro.

Cooking Note

Use any firm white fish, such as grouper, tilapia, cod or snapper.

Nutrition Information

Serves 4
Serving size: 4 ounces fish with sauce, 2 olives and ½ tablespoon cilantro (210 grams)

230 calories, 14g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 43mg cholesterol, 594mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 2g sugar, 19g protein, N/A potassium, N/A phosphorous

This recipe originally appeared in Food & Nutrition Magazine^®, published by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.