This is one of my go-to dishes when I have friends over for dinner. It’s the easiest and tastiest way to make fish for a group. Even if you double the recipe, you can cook all the pieces at the same time; there’s no splattering or mess whatsoever and there’s no chance of the fish sticking to the pan. And you can serve straight from the sheet pan, because it looks gorgeous and has that “I just threw this together” vibe. If all of what I just said weren’t small victory enough (yes, I just used “small victory” as an adjective), the roasted tomatoes themselves are a supreme small victory. The high heat blasts the juices out of the tomatoes, forming a quick, concentrated sauce that is not only great for roasting fish, it’s also terrific tossed with pasta or as an accompaniment for scrambled eggs, roast chicken, grilled pork chops . . . the world is your tomato.
Excerpted from Small Victories by Julia Turshen. Published by Chronicle Books. Text ©2016 Julia Turshen. Photograph ©2016 Gentl + Hyers.
ON-DEMAND: Listen to Faith and Julia discuss this recipe and others from Small Victories on The Faith Middleton Food Schmooze®.
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic thinly sliced
- 2 pints [650 g] cherry tomatoes left whole if small, halved if large
- 1/4 cup [60 ml] extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
- kosher salt
- Four 6-oz. [170 g] flounder or other flat fish fillets
- 1/2 cup [80 g] black olives (pitted if you’d like, okay if not)
- small handful chopped fresh Italian parsley, chives, and/or basil
- Preheat your oven to 400°F [200°C]. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Put the shallot, garlic, and tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the 1/4 cup [60 ml] olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Use your hands to mix everything together.
- Roast the mixture until the tomatoes start to give off some of their juice and the juice is bubbling, about 20 minutes. If you are making this with not-great tomatoes (i.e., it’s February in New England or something), feel free to roast the tomatoes for another 10 to 15 minutes to concentrate the flavors and compensate for the out-of-season produce.
- Take the baking sheet out of the oven and give the tomato mixture a stir. Lay the flounder fillets on top of the mixture in a single layer (it’s okay if they overlap a little bit). Drizzle the fish with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon salt. Scatter the olives on top of the fish and put the baking sheet back in the oven. Roast until the fish is opaque and flakes easily when poked with a fork or a paring knife, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
- Scatter the herbs on top of the fish. Serve immediately. It’s okay if the fish falls apart when you serve it, that’s part of its rustic beauty. If you’re serving the olives unpitted, be sure to let your guests know.
