Mediterranean Fish in a Bag! 8 April 2007

Happy Easter everyone!

This recipe serves 4 (4 fillets in a bag!, or 1 whole fish!)

So-called because you bag your fish in foil! This is very flavorful and uses very Mediterranean ingredients. Try to get good quality black olives, and use your best extra virgin olive oil. While the sun-dried tomatoes are optional, I think that they add the extra special flavor to the natural sauce that seeps out of the fish and meld with all the flavors.

Once you pierce your foil bags, believe me, that delightful aroma will get your appetite going!

Again, this is a simple dish. I think getting a hold of the ingredients is actually harder than preparing it!

You need:

• Fish fillets, 4 pieces (or use a whole fish like we like to do)
• Salt
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• Olive oil, ¼ cup
• Dry white wine, ¼ cup

For the marinade

• Black olives, 1 handful, pitted
• Garlic, 2-3 cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• Red chili, dried, ½
• Fresh basil or marjoram, or both, 1 handful, roughly chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons
• Cherry tomatoes, 20 pieces, halved or quartered
• Sun-dried tomatoes, several pieces (optional)
• Lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
• Salt
• Black pepper, freshly ground

How to:

1. Marinade the tomatoes:

• Put the olives in a bowl with the garlic, chili, herbs and oil.
• Add the cherry tomatoes and toss.
• Add your sun-dried tomatoes to enhance the tomato flavor.
• Leave marinade for a ½ hour.
• Add the lemon juice and season to taste.

2. Bag your fish! (assuming you are using 4 fish fillets)

• Pull out 15 inches long of aluminum foil. Place a quarter of the tomatoes and marinade in the center of one half.
• Season the fish with salt and pepper.
• Lay the fish on top of the tomatoes.
• Fold over the foil and seal the two sides by folding over to gently hug the fish.
• Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a quarter of the white wine and seal up the remaining side
• Repeat the process for the remaining 3 fish fillets. If you are using a whole fish, you simply put in all the ingredients called for.
• Preheat your oven to 475 deg F.
• Bake about 10 minutes (for fillets) or about 10 minutes/pound of fish.
• Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 3-4 minutes (for fillets, or 15 minutes for the whole fish).

To serve, place an unopened bag on each plate and let guests open them up! Or for the whole fish, simply open the bag when you’re about to eat.

From Jamie Oliver’s “Fish baked in a bag with marinated cherry tomatoes, black olives and basil”