Simple Baked Fish

by LEON BOUTEILLER

Sometimes it’s the simplest meals that satisfy because they’re so simple.

Last week my wife and I traveled to Portland Maine for my birthday. We enjoy going there because it has a great food culture. So many doors to open to explore menu offerings. Everything from little hole-in-the-wall shops with half a dozen seats to high end restaurants with a hundred seats or more. You’d have to go to New York City to find a more ethnically diverse culinary scene. Wonderful bakeries, gelaterias and ice cream. Brew pubs and kombucha brewers. Arts, culture and music. A stroll on the Old Port promenade to view beautiful Casco Bay with its magnificent boats. Also it is not far from the Berkshires.

But I digress as I often do. The morning we prepared to leave for home, we stopped by the Harbor Fish Market just off Commercial Street on the wharf. They have an amazing array of fish and shellfish like octopus and squid. We usually chose something to prepare with little effort. Most of their catch is fresh off the boat, some only hours out of water. We can get good fish locally, no doubt, but why not buy a freshly caught fish like haddock, cod or flounder.

We choose cod tails, a bargain and fresh off the boat. I strive for the best and freshest flavors with fresh garden tomato, mild onion and herbs.

SIMPLE BAKED FISH
Four Servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 six ounce portions of white fish such as haddock, cod or flounder

  • 2 cups of ripe tomato, cut into 1/4 inch dice

  • 1 cup of sweet onion, finely diced

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons white wine or dry vermouth

  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon fresh herb such as oregano, thyme or basil, chopped

  • Salt and pepper

Method:

  • Preheat oven to 400F degrees

  • Lightly oil a baking dish large enough to comfortably hold the 4 portions of fish with olive oil

  • Place the fish in the dish with a little space in between. For flounder or other flat fish, fold the fillets in half to double their thickness

  • In a bowl, mix the tomato, onion and herbs together and then distribute evenly over the 4 portions of fish

  • Drizzle the olive oil, wine and lemon over the fish and season with salt and pepper

  • Place the dish in the preheated oven and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the fish is just cooked through

  • Serve with simple sides such as rice or parsleyed potatoes

An easy recipe for those with little time or desire to cook. The freshest ingredients served simply expose unadorned flavors.

Enjoy!

Leon G Bouteiller was born and raised in Northwest Connecticut. He has held several jobs as chef in the community. He is now retired and living in Cornwall with his wife Patrice and a love of the outdoors. They are joined by their pets, a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog named Banjo and two rescue cats called Ricky and Lucy.

Back
to
Top