Seared Fish With Puttanesca Sauce

Sweet, juicy peaches are one of the reasons I love the summer time. They are just heavenly at their peak!

I had originally set out to make talapia with a peach salsa for dinner tonight. But when I went to cut one of the peaches up, I realized they weren't ripe enough to do the salsa any justice. With no plan B, I searched around the kitchen looking for a back up.

What I came up with incorporated a couple handfuls of small Roma tomatoes from our garden. I also found a jar of Kalamata olives in my cupboard. So a puttanesca type sauce for the fish was born.

Stay tuned for the peach salsa!

Seared Fish With Puttanesca Sauce

The Sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup of onion, small dice
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 2 cups organic Roma tomatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 10-15 pitted olives (Kalamatas are nice), cut in half lengthwise
• 1 tbsp capers (I didn't have any on hand today but if you do add them, lessen the amount of olives a bit), drained
• 2 tbsp red wine

Fish

• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
• 4 boneless/skinless fillets of your favorite white fish (talapia, halibut, swordfish, etc.)
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  

Directions

Heat up oil in a medium sauce pan or pot over medium heat. When oil is glistening, add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic, tomatoes, olives, capers and wine. When it comes back to a simmer, cook for about 10 to 12 minutes uncovered or until the sauce has thickened up and is no longer watery. Stirring occasionally. Season with pepper (and add more salt only if necessary. Remember, the olives and capers will add a lot of saltiness.)

Turn off the heat and set aside while you prepare the fish.

Heat up oil in a large non-stick pan.

Rinse the fillets in cold water and dry well with paper towels. Season the pretty side lightly with salt and pepper.

When the oil is glistening, add the fillets pretty side down and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes undisturbed. You want a nice golden crust.

Flip them over and cook for another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish) or until the fish feels a bit firm and flakes with a fork. Plate, spoon sauce over the fillets and serve immediately.

*You can make the sauce in advance. Just reheat it before serving it over the fish.

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