Spicy Pan Fried Fish with Olives and Tomatoes

What do you call tilapia, sauteed quickly with a simple warm garnish of garlic, fresh tomatoes and olives? We would call it good - I mean really good.

Tilapia is such a mild flavored fish, in my opinion it needs something to elevate the flavors because unless you're the cook, if you close your eyes and take a bite you could be eating darn near anything. Once again, we can thank Bon Appetit for a recipe that's like a puttanesca sauce but without the anchovies and capers.  

It's the kind of thing you can make any time of year because thankfully cherry tomatoes are available year round, but imagine this sauce on a chunk of snapper or halibut fresh from the sea, and tomatoes right out of your garden. Why, it would be absolutely sinful and I for one am putting it on our summer menu rotation only I'll be grilling the fish instead.  

We enjoyed our fish beside some pan grilled asparagus garnished with bacon and polenta with spinach, courtesy of Trader Joe's freezer for an incredibly quick and delicious week night dinner. Just so you know, we kinda' sorta' cut the recipe in half so here's our version below, but be sure to hit the link and head right to epicurious for the official version.  

Pan Fried Tilapia with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes (from JBug’s kitchen, adapted from Bon Appetit)

1 pound tilapia fillets, rinsed and dried

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups cherry or mini plum tomatoes

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

Rinse and dry tilapia fillets and season well with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium high until shimmering. Add fish and cook about 3 minutes a side or until just opaque in the center. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Add  pepper flakes and parsley to the pan and sauté for a minute. Add tomatoes, olives and garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until tomatoes are just barely soft. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve sauce over fish. 

A year ago - Peccary Porchetta

 

Two year's ago - Pecan Crusted Cod with Dijon Sauce 

Comments

[Lea]

What a feast for the eyes! That plate of food is gorgeous! My baby is feeling better - I hope your's is, too! Hugs!

[June]

Thanks Lea - so glad CA's feeling better. Our boy's still doing the jiggy dance - he had 2 more seizures yesterday so we're heading into the second dozen now. I'm not sure what we're going to do except try to break the cycle. I might be fighting him for his valium soon, although I sure don't need it...so tired I can hardly think.

[Mary]

Your dish has such wonderful color. It looks beautiful and I'm sure it is delicious. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

[Lorraine]

Oh, poor Maxer. Hugs to all of you. The colors of this dish are sure eye catching! We don't do farmed raised around here (its a fisherman thing) so I will try the saute with halibut or cod, but what a greatcombo of flavors. Don't you just love Kalamata olives?

[June]

Mary - thank you, it is a good way to "posh" up a plain fish fillet.

Lorraine - we won't be doing farm raised when we're back in your neck of the woods either. I can only imagine how good this will be on halibut (my absolute favorite fish). Ditto on the kalamata!