Baked Halibut With Tomato Caper Sauce

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This is another great recipe that comes from Martha Rose Sulman. You will want to make the tomato sauce first so it has time to come together. If it is summer and you have access to fresh tomatoes use those but a can of good San Marzano tomatoes works very well. There is more sauce than you need for two servings of fish, but it freezes well and will go well with any robust fish. The halibut is a nice sturdy white fish with a good amount of Omega-3 fatty acids as well as niacin, Vitamin B12 & B6 and a great source of Vitamin D.

MAKES: 2 Servings
PREP/COOK TIME: 1 Hour

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE TOMATO CAPER SAUCE

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• ½ medium onion, finely chopped

• 5 plump garlic cloves, minced

• ¼ cup capers, drained, rinsed and chopped

• 2 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped, or 1

  28-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

• Salt, preferably kosher salt

• freshly ground pepper to taste

• Pinch of sugar

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

• 1 tablespoon slivered fresh basil leaves

  FOR THE BAKED HALIBUT

• 1 recipe tomato-caper sauce, above

• 2 6-ounce halibut fillets

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 lemon slices

 DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet with a lid, if you have one, over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, three to five minutes, and add the garlic and the capers. Cook, stirring, for three to five minutes, until the onion has softened thoroughly and the mixture is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Stir in the thyme, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce is thick and fragrant. Taste and adjust seasonings. You can serve hot or cold.

2. Make the sauce as directed and keep warm.

3. If you skillet does not have a lid: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a baking dish large enough for the fish to lie flat. Season the fish with salt and pepper, and arrange in the baking dish. Drizzle the olive oil over the fillets, and place a round of lemon on each one. Cover the dish tightly with foil, and place in the oven. Bake 15 minutes. Check the fish; if you can cut into it with a fork, it is done. If it doesn’t yield, (halibut fillets tend to be thick can take time to cook), cover and return to the oven for five minutes. Remove from the oven, and check again. Remove the lemon slices from the fish.

4. If your skillet has a lid: Remove any of the sauce you don’t want to use and refrigerate or freeze for another use. Heat the remaining sauce until simmering. Nestle the fish into the sauce and place a lemon slice on top of each piece of fish. Cover with the lid, keeping the sauce at a gentle simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the fish easily flakes apart.

5. Place a spoonful of sauce on each plate, and place a piece of fish partially on top. If you wish, top the fish with another spoonful of sauce, garnish with basil leaves and serve.