Tunisian Poached Fish

As the leaves start to change and cooler weather sets in, maintain healthful eating with the fresh and light ﬂavors of the Mediterranean harvest. Gently-poached halibut, olives, lemon, spices and walnuts partner up to create this savory and satisfying meal. Not only do walnuts contribute crunch to your favorite menu items, they may also help to ﬁght against diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

Filed Under: Mediterranean Diet, Main dishes, Dinner

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Active time

30 minutes + 1 hour

Yield

6 Servings

Ingredients

1 ¾ pounds fresh halibut steak

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 small fresh hot pepper

4-6 baby red onions

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium red onion, grated

2 medium tomatoes, halved, seeded, and grated

1 head of garlic cloves, separated

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

1 cup brine-cured olives, rinsed and drained

Flour for dusting

4 cherry tomatoes

¼ cup capers, rinsed and drained

½ preserved lemon peel, rinsed, drained, and cut into thin strips

½ cup ﬁnely chopped, toasted walnuts

1 tablespoon chopped celery leaves

Instructions

Rinse the ﬁsh, pat dry with paper towels, and divide into 6 equal pieces. Season each piece with salt, pepper, and ground cumin. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Steam the hot pepper and the baby onions until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Stem, seed, and coarsely chop the pepper. Peel the onions.
In a deep-sided medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Add the grated red onion and cook over medium heat, stirring for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the tomatoes and cook until the excess moisture evaporates, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, ground coriander, olives, steamed chopped hot pepper, baby onions, and 1 cup water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dust the seasoned ﬁsh with ﬂour and fry, skin side down in the hot oil for 2 minutes or until the skin is crispy. Turn each piece of ﬁsh, fry for 1 minute, then pour the hot sauce over the ﬁsh. Add the cherry tomatoes, capers, and preserved lemon peel and simmer over low heat for 1 more minute. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes before serving. The ﬁsh will ﬁnish cooking in the receding heat.
Garnish with walnuts and chopped celery leaves.

Recipe and photo courtesy of California Walnuts.