Looking for something substantial and delicious that you can put together in under 30 minutes? This is an old favorite and a lovely way to serve fish such as halibut or cod.

‘Catalan’ refers to Catalonia, a region of northeastern Spain that borders France. I don’t imagine this is a traditional Catalonian recipe but it does contain some of the essential ingredients; tomatoes, olives, garlic, onion, herbs and a splash of white wine. I’ve also used dry sherry when I’ve run out of wine and it’s fabulous either way. The addition of orange zest brightens it up nicely.

This recipe works best with firm white fish. Serve it with baby boiled potatoes, rice, quinoa or whatever you prefer, and a green vegetable.

Easy Catalan Baked Fish

EASY CATALAN BAKED FISH

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 lb (0.5k) of firm white fillet of fish at least an inch thick, cut into four

2 teaspoons of extra-v olive oil

1 medium to large onion, halved and sliced very thinly

2 fat cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup (60ml) of dry white wine (or dry sherry)

A 14 oz (400g) can of Italian peeled plum tomatoes, drained then chopped

10-12 pitted black olives (preferably kalamata or niçoise), coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon of fresh oregano, chopped – or 1/4 teaspoon of dried

1/4 teaspoon of finely grated orange zest

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Action:

Pre-heat the oven to 450F (230C).

Oil the base of a shallow baking dish and arrange the fish in a single layer. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In a wide saute pan, heat the olive oil and saute the onion until very soft. Add the minced garlic and the white wine and simmer for half a minute, then add everything else. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and spread everything evenly over the fish.

Bake uncovered for approximately 15 minutes or until the fish is opaque in the center and falls apart in big juicy flakes.

Serve immediately.