Fish Provencal

Fish is one of my favorite foods. A nice succulent white fish draped with a provencal sauce is a very satisfying meal. Whether you use rockfish, halibut, tilapia, or cod, this dish will excite the senses. My Fish Provencal dish is an easy weeknight favorite.

Rockfish Provencal -- white fish served with a sauce of tomatoes, kalamata olives, and roasted garlic (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals) — Rockfish Provencal — white fish served with a sauce of tomatoes, kalamata olives, and roasted garlic (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

Provencal cooking “originated” in the Provence region of France. As Provence borders the Mediterranean Sea, many seafood dishes are popular in the area. Herbs, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and many varieties of olives are the flavorings for many Provencal family meals.

Map of Provence (Image Courtesy wikipedia.com)

In my recipe, roasted garlic cloves, Kalamata olives, ripe tomatoes, herbs and a little white wine will perfume some seafood stock to result in a wonderful Provencal sauce. You can use pretty much any kind of seafood or fish in this dish.

Add this dish to your “Mediterranean Diet” meals list, and enjoy! Add a little glass of white or light red wine, and some bread, and you’ve got a meal. Serve with a side salad such as my Colorful Confetti Salad with Herby Buttermilk Dressing or a baby greens salad with my Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette.

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From the kitchen of A Food Lover’s Delight….

Fish Provencal

Ingredients:

2 lb white fish (your choice of rockfish, halibut, tilapia, cod, etc.), skin on, cut into 1 inch wide strips
2 T olive oil
1/2 c thinly sliced shallots
1 c diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
8 roasted garlic cloves
1/2 c Kalamata olives, halved longwise
1 t dried thyme (can use fresh)
2 c seafood stock
1/2 c white wine
1 T butter
salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley or thyme sprigs for garnish

Method:

1. Cut the white fish into strips about one inch wide. Season with salt and pepper on the fleshy side. Set aside. (If you are using a thin fish, you may just want to make the whole fillet as-is without cutting into pieces.)
2. In a large skillet or saute pan, over medium heat, warm the olive oil.
3. Saute the shallots until they are translucent and soft.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, garlic cloves, olives, thyme, seafood stock and white wine.
5. Over medium-low heat, let the sauce simmer and reduce a bit, maybe 5 minutes or so.
6. Carefully place the white fish strips into the pan, skin side down.
7. Cook 5 – 8 minutes or until the fish is done to your liking. Thinner fish will take less time to cook than a thicker fish.
8. Carefully remove fish strips to serving plates/bowls.
9. Stir the butter into the sauce and warm for a minute. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Ladle the sauce over the fish, garnish with a sprig of thyme or parsley.
11. Serve!

Serves 4. Offer with a side salad and some crusty hot bread. Set out a dish of good olive oil for bread-dipping. A dry white wine or a light red wine will go nicely with this dish.

Variations: Use salmon or another favorite fish. Scallops and shrimp in place of the fish also work well in this dish. You could also add seafood as an accompaniment to the white fish. Chicken broth/stock can be substituted for the seafood stock. Add some white beans for a heartier dish, or you can make my Hearty Grilled Fish over White Bean Stew as an alternative.