What to Eat When the Weather Starts Turning Warmer

Pan-Roasted Fish with Green Olive, Almond, and Orange Relish

This meal is brought to you compliments of my recently discovered non-interest in all things chicken or beef and the seventy-degree weather we've been having. Because let's face it; once the weather starts behaving, we don't want heavy meals. We want nice, light meals that are tasty and fresh.

And this is that.


One night, you see, I was flipping through my Cook's Illustrated cookbook and found the following recipe.  And it looked light! And scrumptuous! And kind of gourmet-y in a non-threatening way!

So I bought me some tilapia and green olives I made it and eated it. Twas delish.

The fish was light and well-seasoned, the relish was refreshing: a bit salty, and a bit citrusy with a little bit of a crunch from the almonds. A perfect warm-weather meal.

This recipe will forever change the way I make fish. I almost always pan-fry them, and they almost always turn out over-cooked. Not so with these babies. The secret is to fry them on one side for a few short minutes, then stick 'em in the oven. Perfectly cooked fish are a sight to behold. And taste.

Helpful Hints:
I used tilapia, but the folks at CI recommend halibut, cod, or sea bass that's cut at least one inch thick. Adjust your oven times as necessary for smaller cuts.

I didn't have mint, so I used parsley. Use what you have! Mix it up.

Are manzanilla olives the same as green olives? Because I could only find manzanilla, so that's what I used. I think they worked great, but I'd use less that the recipe calls for - those things are salty!

You'll need an oven-safe skillet for this recipe. If you don't have one, when you preheat your oven, stick a baking pan in there. When you need to transfer the fish from the skillet to the oven, carefully take out the heated pan and put the fish in it, then return it to the oven.

To toast almonds, place in skillet and heat over low heat until they smell fragrant and have turned slightly browned. This should take about five minutes. Keep an eye on them - they are easy to burn!

Pan-Roasted Fish Fillets
From Cook's Illustrated Cookbook
Serves 4

4 (6- to 8-ounce) skinless white fish fillets, 1 to 1/2 inches thick
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Lemon wedges or relish (recipes to follow)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.

Pat fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle very light dusting of sugar (about 1/8 teaspoon) evenly over 1 side of each fillet. Heat oil in 12 in ovensafe non-stick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Place fillets in skillet, sugar side down, and press down lightly to ensure even contact with pan. Cook until browned, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

Using 2 spatulas, flip fillets, then transfer skillet to oven. Roast fillets until centers are just opaque and register 135 degrees, 7 to 10 minutes. Immediately transfer to serving plates and serve with lemon wedges or relish spooned over each fillet.

Green Olive, Almond and Orange Relish 
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup green olives, pitted and chopped coarse
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon grated orange zest plus 1/4 cup juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced fresh mint
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Salt and cayenne pepper

Pulse almonds, olives, garlic, and orange zest in food processor until nuts and olives are finely chopped, 10 to 12 pulses. Transfer to bowl and stir in orange juice, oil, mint, and vinegar. Season with salt and cayenne to taste.