Provencal Halibut

My favorite part of my trip to Provence was, of course, the food. Unfussy, rustic, flavorful. Since then I have collected many recipes with Provence origins and this is one of my favorites. It's light and healthy and you can whip it up in no time. Serve it over a bed of mashed cauliflower {a healthy alternative to mashed potatoes} and you have an ideal dinner.

Provencal Halibut

4 fillets of Halibut, 5 oz each (or your favorite fish, wild vs. farm raised)

1 T extra virgin olive oil, first cold press

2 t minced garlic 

2 small shallots, minced

2 c canned organic diced tomatoes, drained

3/4 c halved kalamata olives

3 T capers

1/8 t red pepper flakes

1 t balsamic vinegar

kosher salt

fresh ground black

8 large basil leaves, torn

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

To prepare sauce:

Add olive oil, garlic and shallots to a pan and saute over medium heat for 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes, capers, red pepper flakes vinegar and 1/2 t salt and saute for 1 minute.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until the tomatoes have softened and you have thick, fragrant sauce.

To prepare fish,en papillote:

Place 4 large squares of parchment paper on 1 large shallow baking dish or 2 medium sized baking dishes. Place each fillet in the center of each piece of paper and season lightly with fresh black pepper. Bring the ends of the parchment paper lengthwise together over the fish forming a "teepee". Roll away and down and secure with staples. Roll each open end of parchment paper together toward the center and secure with staples, forming an airtight seal. Bake the fish until just cooked through, about 12 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish. The beauty of this cooking method is that your fish will be moist even if you cook it a few minutes longer than necessary.

To serve:

If you've made the mashed cauliflower, divide equally among four plates. Remove fish from parchment paper and place each fillet on top of cauliflower. Spoon sauce over each fillet.  Finish with fresh black pepper and basil leaves.

 

Source: Adapted from The Los Angeles Times