Best Mediterranean Fish Recipes

EASY FISH STEW WITH MEDITERRANEAN FLAVORS

Steps:

• Place the garlic cloves and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a mortar and pestle, and mash to a paste. Add the anchovy fillets and mash with the garlic. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, and add the onion, celery and carrot with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about five minutes. Add the pureed garlic and anchovy. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is very fragrant, about one minute, and then add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down a bit and the mixture smells aromatic, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the water, potatoes, salt (to taste) and the bouquet garni. Bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low, cover partially and simmer 30 minutes. Taste, adjust salt and add pepper to taste. Remove the bouquet garni.
• Season the fish with salt and pepper, and stir into the soup. The soup should not be boiling. Simmer five to 10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fillets) or just until it flakes easily when poked. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley, taste once more, adjust seasonings and serve.

MEDITERRANEAN FISH STEW WITH GARLIC TOASTS

Steps:

• To make the garlic toasts, drizzle the bread with oil, then griddle or grill until golden all over. While the toasts are still hot, rub them with garlic and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a wide, deep frying pan. Add the onion and cook over a gentle heat for 5 mins until softened. Stir through the garlic and chilli and cook a couple of mins more. Add the tomato purée and tomatoes. Turn up the heat and cook for 10-15 mins, stirring until the tomatoes are pulpy. Pour over the wine and cook for 10 mins more until most of it has boiled away.
• Add the fish stock and orange zest and heat until gently simmering. Nestle the halibut chunks into the liquid and cook for 5 mins. Add the clams and prawns and cook for 5 mins more until the fish is cooked through and the clams have opened (discard any that haven't). Sprinkle the parsley over the stew and serve with the garlic toasts.

MEDITERRANEAN BAKED FISH

Steps:

• In a nonstick skillet, saute leeks and garlic in oil until tender; set aside. Coat a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange basil in a single layer in dish; top with fish fillets. Sprinkle with salt. Top with leek mixture., Arrange tomatoes and olives over fish. Thinly slice half of the lemon; place over the top. Squeeze juice from remaining lemon over all. Sprinkle with pepper. , Cover and bake at 425° for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Garnish with rosemary.

MEDITERRANEAN FISH MARINADE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl or marinade dish.
• Add fish marinade for 30 minutes.

MEDITERRANEAN FISH CHOWDER WITH POTATOES AND KALE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes.
• Add a generous pinch of salt and stir in the garlic, anchovies and chopped parsley. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is very fragrant, another minute or two, and add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down a bit and the mixture smells aromatic, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the water, potatoes, salt to taste and the bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add the saffron, turn the heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Taste, adjust salt and add pepper to taste. Remove the bouquet garni.
• While the soup is simmering, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the kale. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until tender but still colorful. Transfer to a bowl of cold water, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set aside.
• Shortly before serving, season the fish with salt and pepper and stir into the soup, along with the kale. The soup should not be boiling vigorously. Simmer 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fillets), or just until the fish flakes easily when poked. Remove from the heat, taste once more and adjust seasonings, and serve.

MEDITERRANEAN FISH (FLOUNDER)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Prepare tomatoes if using fresh by plunging them into boiling water, imediately removing them to a bowl of ice water and peeling the skins. Or you can chop them with the skins on or use canned- it is a person preference thing.
• heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender. Add garlic and Italian seasoning, stirring to combine. Add tomatoes and cook until tender. Mix in wine, olives, capers, lemon juice and half of the basil. If fresh basil- if fresh basil is not available add a couple teaspoons of dried basil-fresh is always better though. Reduce heat, blend in Parmesan cheese and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbly. If you prefer a thick sauce you can cook until the sauce has reduced to a thick sauce, about 15 minutes.
• Place fish in a shallow baking dish. Cover with the sauce mixture and bake in preheated oven 15-20 minutes depending on the fish used. Fish should flake easily with a fork when done, except for the mahi mahi which flakes when done, just not easily.

MEDITERRANEAN FISH TACOS

Steps:

• Heat grill pan over medium high heat or preheat outdoor grill.
• Combine the juice and zest of 2 lemons, oregano, parsley, 2 cloves garlic, olive oil and add fish, turn to coat and season with salt and pepper.
• Wrap tortillas in foil and place in warm oven or directly on grill to soften and warm through.
• Shred romaine lettuce and combine with sliced onions.
• Slice hot peppers and reserve.
• Combine red peppers and yogurt in food processor. Add cumin, 1 clove garlic, zest and juice of remaining1 lemon, cucumber and process until smooth, transfer to a bowl.
• Grill fish 6 to 7 minutes until firm and cooked through then cut into cubes.
• Serve fish to wrap in soft tortillas with lettuce, onions, hot peppers and sauce.

EASY LIGHTLY FRIED FISH - THYME AND SPICES - MEDITERRANEAN

Steps:

• thaw the fish if frozen - rinse it under water and pat dry if you wish.
• preheat about an inch of oil in a pan.
• cut the fillets into smaller pieces if you want.
• crack the egg into a shallow bowl and beat - add a pinch of salt and pepper.
• prepare the spiced fish fry coating - mix roughly 50:50 flour:spices. I suggest adding a fair amount of salt and pepper, and also chili powder if you like it hot. ANY COMBO OF SPICES WORK, be liberal. MIX UNTIL HOMOGENOUS.
• dip the fish in egg - let the extra egg drip off (tap against the side of bowl).
• coat both sides of the egged up fish in the frying coating.
• carefully (hot oil is dangerous!) fry both sides of the fish in the oil until golden brown on both sides, and the inside of the fish is flaky and white.
• dry on paper towels lined with a bed of thyme.
• garnish with lemon wedges and thyme sprigs (optional).

ONE-PAN MEDITERRANEAN ROASTED FISH DINNER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450°F. Drizzle 15x10-inch pan with sides or large shallow roasting pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Arrange artichoke hearts, tomatoes, olives, bell pepper, garlic and fennel seed in pan. Arrange fish over vegetables. Top with capers, orange peel, orange juice, salt and pepper.
• Bake 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and fish flakes easily with fork.
• If desired, serve with rice, pasta or potatoes, green salad and/or crusty bread.

MEDITERRANEAN FISH SOUP

Steps:

• Place onion, green bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato sauce, mushrooms, olives, orange juice, wine, bay leaves, dried basil, fennel seeds, and pepper into a slow cooker. Cover, and cook on low 4 to 4 1/2 hours or until vegetables are crisp tender.
• Stir in shrimp and cod. Cover. Cook 15 to 30 minutes, or until shrimp are opaque. Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve.

MEDITERRANEAN FISH & COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Take one small sheet of foil, about A4 size, and put one fish fillet on top. Season the fish, then drizzle with half of the lemon juice and zest, half the sliced chillies and half of the basil.
• Halve 4 of the tomatoes and put these around the fish. Place another sheet of foil on top and fold the edges together to seal. Repeat with the other piece of fish and transfer to a baking sheet. Cook for 15-18 mins until the bag has puffed up (or cook on the barbecue).
• While the fish is cooking pour 100ml of boiling water over the couscous, cover, then leave to swell for 5 mins. Chop the rest of the tomatoes and mix with the couscous, balsamic, cucumber, the remaining basil, lemon juice and zest and olives. Season and serve alongside the fish with the lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over.

GRILLED WHOLE MEDITERRANEAN FISH WITH AGED SHERRY-VINEGAR-TARRAGON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Heat grill to medium-high heat. Brush the fish on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Fill the cavities of both fish with orange slices, tarragon and parsley and place on the grill. Grill the fish for 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill, place on a platter and drizzle immediately with the Sherry Vinegar-Tarragon Vinaigrette.
• Combine vinegar, shallot, mustard, tarragon, and salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until emulsified. Adjust seasoning.

MEDITERRANEAN FISH SOUP

Steps:

• In a 6 quart saucepan or soup pot, heat the oil over low heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the white wine, tomato paste, saffron, stock, crushed red pepper, orange juice, and orange zest and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered, for about 45 minutes, or until liquid is reduced by about one-third.
• Add the fennel and tomatoes and cook until the fennel is tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
• Season the fish fillets with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cut the fillets into 1 1/2-inch chunks. Add the fish, shrimp, and parsley to the broth and allow to cook, gently stirring only once or twice, until the fish is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve in shallow bowls with garlic-rubbed croutons.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the French bread slices on a small baking sheet and brush with the olive oil. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. While still warm, rub each crouton with one of the cut sides of garlic.

MEDITERRANEAN FISH PARCELS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 170C/conventional 190C/gas 5. Boil potatoes in lightly salted water for about 12 minutes or until tender, then drain well.
• Take 2 large sheets of foil, about 30cm square, and brush the middle area of each sheet with the olive oil. Put a fish fillet on top and spread with the tomato paste. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and juice, add the cooked potatoes, olives and capers and season with ground pepper.
• Lay a sprig of rosemary or thyme on top then loosely wrap and secure each parcel tightly to completely enclose the ingredients. You can prepare these up to half a day in advance and keep them in the fridge.
• Put the fish parcels on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the fish flakes when tested with a fork. Serve at once, with steamed green beans.

MEDITERRANEAN FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add onion, fennel seed, garlic, salt, turmeric, pepper, bay leaf and potatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes. Add carrots; simmer 3 minutes. Add zucchini; simmer another 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
• Remove 1 cup of the vegetables and broth and puree in a blender. Return puree to thicken soup; Add fish and wine. Simmer, covered just until fish is opaque, about 1 minute.
• Remove bay leaf and serve with Italian or sourdough bread.

MARINATED MEDITERRANEAN FISH FILLETS

Steps:

• Combine all marinade ingredients. Marinade fish fillets for 30 mins or more.
• Remove fish from marinade. Heat oil in non-stick frypan and fry fish until cooked through.

MEDITERRANEAN FISH STEW

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium heat, saute the garlic and onions in the olive oil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes with liquid, water, parsley and cilantro. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, cinnamon, paprika and fish. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the pasta and simmer for an additional 8 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Season with salt to taste and ground black pepper.

MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE MARINATED FISH (OR CHICKEN!) FILLETS

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, mix oil, vinegar, pepper, basil/thyme and garlic.
• Coat both sides of fillets.
• Break bay leaves into 3-4 pieces, press onto both sides of fillets.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight (overnight is better!) Remove bay leaves and discard extra marinade.
• Sprinkle with salt and cook over medium high heat in large skillet (nonstick is best).
• For example: a thick cod fillet will need about 4 minutes per side, thin long fillets 2-3 minutes/side.
• Drippings in the pan are great on pasta--deglaze pan by adding a bit more red wine vinegar (or just WINE!) and toss with freshly cooked (not rinsed!) warm pasta.

MEDITERRANEAN FISH POUCHES IN FOIL OVER COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Vegetables -- Ok, first thing lets prepare your vegetables. In a saute pan, add the eggplant and onion and cook a minute. Now add the zucchini, olives, capers, tomatoes, seasoning (go light on the salt) and just simmer for a few minutes. It will continue to cook in the pouches.
• Fish -- Get a nice sheet of foil about 10 x 10 (for each fillet) so you can fold it up basically like a present so you can add liquid without it leaking. Now, spray in inside of the foil with a little of the pam and place the fish fillet and season with a little salt and pepper if you want (not necessary).
• Topping -- top with fish fillet with a lemon slice, then the tomato vegetable mixture, then pour a little of the white wine on top of the tomatoes. Just wrap up and place on a cookie sheet for the oven or the grill.
• Bake -- 425 middle shelf for 30 minutes. Grill same timing. Depending on the thickness of your fish and the amount of filling it can take 30-40 minutes.
• Couscous -- I like to use broth to cook, but water will be fine. Just in the microwave in the bowl you are serving it in, garnish with a little parsley if you want and olive oil.

MEDITERRANEAN FISH GRATINS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large, wide non-stick saucepan or sauté pan and gently fry the onion, fennel, garlic and coriander seeds for 15 mins, stirring regularly until the vegetables are softened and lightly coloured. Pour the wine into the pan and add the tomatoes, tomato purée, saffron and bay leaf. Season and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 15 mins, stirring occasionally, until thick.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Stir the lemon juice and most of the parsley into the tomato mixture, pop the raw fish pieces and prawns on top and stir well. Cover tightly with a lid and simmer gently over a medium heat for 4-5 mins or until the fish is almost cooked. Stir a couple of times as the fish cooks, taking care not to let it break up.
• Ladle the hot tomato and fish mixture into 6 individual pie dishes - they will each need to hold around 350ml. Mix the cheese, breadcrumbs, remaining parsley and a little ground black pepper together and sprinkle over the top. Bake on a baking tray for 20 mins or until the pies are golden brown and bubbling. Serve with green salad, if you like.