Here is my incredibly delicious fragrant fish pomodoro. It is healthy and light, chock full of flavour and is – well – not too fishy. I made this for dinner this Christmas Eve and it flew off the table. You are going to love it because it is quick to make and a great change to all the meat we eat over Christmas. It will go down well with fish and meat lovers alike.
Feel free to use whatever firm, chunky fish you like in this dish. If you’re not sure what to choose then ask the fish monger or at the fish counter. I tend to go for a mixture of salmon, cod and prawns as that goes down well in my house. The best way to ensure your pomodoro does not end up being fishy is to make sure you use really fresh fish. Ask for the freshest they have if buying fresh, or buy your fish frozen. Just make sure you defrost it overnight in the fridge before you use it.
You may have a staunch ‘fish free’ person in your house as I do. For years I let this reduce the amount of fish I ate. It still does to some degree, but I have learnt to work my way round this as I love fish so much. When making this stew all I do is remove some of the tomato based sauce to another pan before adding the fish to our sauce. I then add thinly sliced chicken, a quorn fillet or some chorizo to the fish free stew. This poaches gently whilst the fish is cooking in the big pan. Tinned chickpeas are also a great addition.
This dish is great to make ahead. Prepare it up to the point where you finish simmering the tomato based sauce then chill and store in the fridge for up to a couple of days or freeze if you wish.
I first made this recipe for my parents. I’ve made it many times since as it is so totally delicious. It is easy to make for a big crowd, as a New Year’s Eve dinner for example. Just increase the quantity as you wish. Make sure you don’t scrimp on the herbs. These and the lemon help to bring the sauce to life. Serve with rice, couscous or good crusty bread.
Fragrant Fish Pomodoro
A delicious fish dish that is light, healthy and full of flavour. Just as easy to make for a crowd as it is for two of three.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 piece thumb-sized ginger finely grated
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 1-2 teaspoons sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 800g fish or a combination of fish and seafood
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1-2 tablespoons each chopped coriander, parsley and mint (to serve)
Instructions
Heat the oil and gently fry the onion until soft and translucent. When the onion is ready add the garlic, ginger and dry spices to the pan and continue to fry for one minute more. Add the tomatoes and first teaspoon of sugar and bring to the boil. Simmer gently, lid on, for ten minutes, letting down with a little water if the sauce becomes too thick. Season to taste adding salt, pepper and the other teaspoon of sugar if the sauce still tastes acidic.
Next add the fish, bring back to a gentle simmer, and simmer until the fish is cooked through. This will take 5 –10 minutes depending on the size of the pieces of fish. Once the fish is cooked, gently remove any skin which will come away easily now, and break each piece of fish into two or three large pieces.
- Add the lemon zest and half the juice. Stir gently, taste and add the rest if needed.
- Serve in bowls with the fresh herbs sprinkled over the top.
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