Fish With Lemons And Oranges

This post has been lurking in my drafts for a long time!  So it's definitely time to let it see the light of day.  This recipe is from Tessa Kiros's Now & Then.  Tessa is a South African who ended up in Italy.  For some reason, I thought she was an Aussie, but no!  Getting her mixed up with Tess Mallos, the (deceased) Australian cookbook writer, I reckon.

Mr P. and I do not eat much meat, so fish is a go-to for us, me especially.  I ended up using frozen king snapper, though you can use whichever fish you fancy - Tessa says sea bream, perch or red snapper.  I think I'll try barramundi next time, or even salmon.  

We are currently doing our pre-cyclone prep, as there's a tropical cyclone forecast for this week; for the first time in 50+ years here in Brisbane!  Gotta get those chairs and ladders inside pronto!  Thanks to dear friends who came around to help move the heavy ladders inside!  The sounds of silence are eerie right now, though by the time you read this, it will all be done and dusted - and hopefully with not too much damage.

the back deck has been stripped!

Serves 4:

Ingredients:

2 Tbs EV olive oil

40g./1.5 oz butter

4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

4 x 150g./5.5 oz fish fillets of your choice, skin-on (or not) and boned - I used king snapper

Sea salt flakes and black pepper, to taste - maybe 1 tsp salt, and a dozen grinds of pepper?

some fresh thyme - you choose how much - maybe 10 sprigs? - leaves stripped off the stems

12 green olives, pitted and halved

12 black olives, pitted and halved

60 mL/2 oz white wine

4 Tbs lemon juice

juice of one orange

2 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp orange zest

1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped

zest that orange!

and pit those olives

Method:

Olive oil and butter go into a large frying pan; add the garlic

When your garlic is doing the sizzle, add the fishy pieces, skin-side down (if using fish with skin), and cook over high heat for about 5 minutes, till crispy  (a bit less time if using skinned fish)

Turn 'em over, sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and throw in most of your thyme leaves

Turn the heat down to low(er), and add the olives and wine

Cook uncovered, for 5-10 minutes  see Notes

Turn the fish over again, adding a bit more salt and pepper to them

Add the juices, and let it simmer away, uncovered, for another 5-10 minutes or so, until the sauce is a bit thick and syrupy (mine didn't get very syrupy tbh)   see Notes

Scatter the zests and thyme leaves over the fish, then the parsley

Serve with salad or veg.

first catch that fish - as the redoubtable Hannah Glasse (1708-1770) would say :=)

Notes:

I think the cooking time given by Tessa is a bit too much.  She is saying around 25 minutes all up, but I think 15-20 would be the maximum needed (depending on the fish and the thickness of the fillets)

heat the EVoo and butter in a large frying pan; add the garlic cloves

in go the fishy fillets

and the olives

ready to serve

'twas winter so we had brussels sprouts

thyme