wine, salt, pepper, and optional mustard. Top with the fish; sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper. Cover the casserole.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until a thin-bladed knife meets little or no resistance when inserted into the thickest part of the fish. Uncover and serve the fish with the leeks and pan juices spooned over it.
WINE
Crisp Chardonnay-real Chablis would be ideal-or a glass of hard sparkling cider
SERVE WITH
60-Minute Bread , good store-bought bread, Olive Oil Croutons , or Easy Rice
Keys To SUCCESS
YOU NEED A tightly covered container to preserve all the liquid and flavors inherent in this dish, but that can be as simple as a pot with a good-fitting lid or a lidded glass casserole—anything that prevents moisture from escaping.
LEEKS ARE the preferred member of the onion family because they remain crisp and their flavor is strong but not overwhelming; thinly sliced onions rings will do the job nearly as well. If you choose to use leeks, trim about ½ inch from the root end, then trim off all tough green leaves. Cut them in half lengthwise and chop; then wash well in a colander, making sure to rinse between all the layers.
With MINIMAL Effort
Chicken Braised with Leeks: Follow the recipe exactly, substituting boneless chicken breasts for the fish. Cooking time will be just about the same.
Shrimp Baked with Leeks: Because shrimp cooks so quickly, it’s worth baking the leeks for 5 minutes first. Then put the shrimp on top and bake for an additional 10 minutes or so.
| Substitute a couple of cups of chopped tomato for the leeks; or add some in addition to the leeks. In this instance you can reduce or nearly eliminate the added stock or wine—or just use a sprinkling of olive oil or fresh lemon juice.
| In place of the mustard, try soy sauce, chopped fresh herbs (a couple of teaspoons of thyme leaves, for example), or a teaspoon of curry powder or another spice mix.
Roast Fish with
Crisp Potatoes, Olives,
and Bay Leaves
TIME: 40 to 50 minutes
MAKES: 4 servings
Aside from the fish, you probably have on hand everything you need to make this dish, which begins with cooking thin-sliced potatoes in good olive oil. Add a handful of bay leaves, fillets of sturdy white fish, and a lot of black olives. The result is crisp potatoes and tender fish with luxuriously juicy olives.
2 large baking potatoes (about 1 pound)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15 bay leaves
1 cup black olives
1½ pounds monkfish or other fillets
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes (use a mandoline if you have one). Oil the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with ¼ cup oil; top with a single layer of the potatoes (it’s okay if they overlap a little). Season with salt and pepper and top with the bay leaves and the remaining ¼ cup oil.
Roast for 10 minutes. Check and turn the pan back to front, shaking it a little to bathe the potatoes in oil. Roast for 10 minutes more. At this point the potatoes should be browning; if not, roast for 5 minutes more.
Top the potatoes with the olives and the fish; sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes more, or until the fish is tender, but not overcooked. Serve immediately.
WINE
A Beaujolais, a light Pinot Noir, or a crisp, high-acid white, like Graves, or a well-made Sauvignon Blanc
SERVE WITH
Simple Green Salad or Steamed Broccoli (or Other Vegetable)
Keys To SUCCESS
THE COMBINATION of high-heat roasting and plenty of olive oil is the easiest and most foolproof method for getting crisp potatoes. The quantity of potatoes must necessarily be limited or they will not brown properly.
ALTHOUGH ANY black olives will work, the best to use here are good-quality oil-cured olives, the small, shriveled kind. They soften and plump up a bit, and their bitterness is greatly tamed by cooking.
THE STURDY texture of monkfish is ideal for roasting, but certain other fillets will give similar results: red snapper, sea
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until a thin-bladed knife meets little or no resistance when inserted into the thickest part of the fish. Uncover and serve the fish with the leeks and pan juices spooned over it.
WINE
Crisp Chardonnay-real Chablis would be ideal-or a glass of hard sparkling cider
SERVE WITH
60-Minute Bread , good store-bought bread, Olive Oil Croutons , or Easy Rice
Keys To SUCCESS
YOU NEED A tightly covered container to preserve all the liquid and flavors inherent in this dish, but that can be as simple as a pot with a good-fitting lid or a lidded glass casserole—anything that prevents moisture from escaping.
LEEKS ARE the preferred member of the onion family because they remain crisp and their flavor is strong but not overwhelming; thinly sliced onions rings will do the job nearly as well. If you choose to use leeks, trim about ½ inch from the root end, then trim off all tough green leaves. Cut them in half lengthwise and chop; then wash well in a colander, making sure to rinse between all the layers.
With MINIMAL Effort
Chicken Braised with Leeks: Follow the recipe exactly, substituting boneless chicken breasts for the fish. Cooking time will be just about the same.
Shrimp Baked with Leeks: Because shrimp cooks so quickly, it’s worth baking the leeks for 5 minutes first. Then put the shrimp on top and bake for an additional 10 minutes or so.
| Substitute a couple of cups of chopped tomato for the leeks; or add some in addition to the leeks. In this instance you can reduce or nearly eliminate the added stock or wine—or just use a sprinkling of olive oil or fresh lemon juice.
| In place of the mustard, try soy sauce, chopped fresh herbs (a couple of teaspoons of thyme leaves, for example), or a teaspoon of curry powder or another spice mix.
Roast Fish with
Crisp Potatoes, Olives,
and Bay Leaves
TIME: 40 to 50 minutes
MAKES: 4 servings
Aside from the fish, you probably have on hand everything you need to make this dish, which begins with cooking thin-sliced potatoes in good olive oil. Add a handful of bay leaves, fillets of sturdy white fish, and a lot of black olives. The result is crisp potatoes and tender fish with luxuriously juicy olives.
2 large baking potatoes (about 1 pound)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15 bay leaves
1 cup black olives
1½ pounds monkfish or other fillets
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes (use a mandoline if you have one). Oil the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with ¼ cup oil; top with a single layer of the potatoes (it’s okay if they overlap a little). Season with salt and pepper and top with the bay leaves and the remaining ¼ cup oil.
Roast for 10 minutes. Check and turn the pan back to front, shaking it a little to bathe the potatoes in oil. Roast for 10 minutes more. At this point the potatoes should be browning; if not, roast for 5 minutes more.
Top the potatoes with the olives and the fish; sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes more, or until the fish is tender, but not overcooked. Serve immediately.
WINE
A Beaujolais, a light Pinot Noir, or a crisp, high-acid white, like Graves, or a well-made Sauvignon Blanc
SERVE WITH
Simple Green Salad or Steamed Broccoli (or Other Vegetable)
Keys To SUCCESS
THE COMBINATION of high-heat roasting and plenty of olive oil is the easiest and most foolproof method for getting crisp potatoes. The quantity of potatoes must necessarily be limited or they will not brown properly.
ALTHOUGH ANY black olives will work, the best to use here are good-quality oil-cured olives, the small, shriveled kind. They soften and plump up a bit, and their bitterness is greatly tamed by cooking.
THE STURDY texture of monkfish is ideal for roasting, but certain other fillets will give similar results: red snapper, sea
Similar Books
