One of our favorite restaurants dishes is some-kind-of-fish Livornese style. Ed and I both like the tangy components -- olives and capers -- and how they give so much extra flavor to the more typical tomatoes and garlic red-sauce.
Somehow I never made Livornese sauce at home, until recently, when I saw a great looking hunk of halibut in the market and decided to dig right in and try it out.
It was absolutely perfect. I used Aleppo pepper, because I like the hint of smokiness that it has, but crushed red pepper would be equally good.
Roasted Halibut Livornese
- 1-1/2 pounds halibut, about 1-1/2-inches thick
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 large clove garlic, chopped
- 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup cut up black imported olives
- 2-3 teaspoons capers
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or crushed red pepper)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the fish in a lightly oiled baking dish. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add the olives, capers, white wine and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes or until soft. Spoon the sauce over the fish. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish, or until cooked through.
Makes 4 servings