I’m as guilty as others, when I think of Sicilian food, I think pasta with red sauce! But when you travel to Sicily you discover the incredible food from the Mediterranean like this fish dish we’re preparing here, and the beautiful, colorful vegetables that are so abundant.
Today, I’ll show you how quick and easy it is to capture the Sicilian lifestyle all in one simple dish with delicious white fish, wine and veggies.
We enjoyed this yummy, easy fish dish in a restaurant in a small town named Enna, located in the southern middle of the island. Although on the menu it was called “white fish”, I suspect it was Dorado or Mahi Mahi, a mild flavored white fish. It’s easy to find frozen wild Mahi Mahi in the grocery store – that’s what I used today.
Roasted White Fish with Wine, Fennel and Fingerlings
- 3 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
- About a LB of Fingerlings, (or Yukon Gold) Potatoes, quartered if large
- ½ to 1 Fennel Bulb, chopped in 1” pieces
- 4 Cloves Garlic, grated and divided
- 4 TB Chopped Green Onions
- Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste
- 3/4 Cup Crisp, Dry White Wine like Pinot Grigio or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
- 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
- 1 TB Chopped Fresh Herbs + more for garnish
- 2 – 4 (5 oz) Skinless White Fish Fillets
- Lemon wedges for garnish
Step One
Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss the potatoes and fennel together in a bowl with 2 TB of the oil, half of the garlic, green onions and then spread them out on a parchment lined sheet tray. Season well with salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove and stir, cook until just tender about 10 – 15 more minutes.
Step Two
While the potatoes are cooking, put the wine, remaining 1 TB of olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, remaining garlic and a sprinkle of salt and pepper in a zip lock bag. Add the fish and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes.
Step Three
When the potatoes and fennel are done, remove then from the oven and scrape them into a oil sprayed casserole dish, big enough to hold the veggies and the fish. Remove fish from the fridge and place the fish and marinade in the middle of the veggie filled casserole dish. Slide back into the oven and cook until the fish is opaque, about 10 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges and chopped herbs.
***Just double or triple the ingredients and bring out a larger casserole dish to serve a bigger family or friends.
AS a MAKE AHEAD:
During the Facebook Live – I realized that if you kept your fish in the marinade all night long – it would cook the fish. I blithered for a moment – and then I talked leaving the fish OUT of the casserole. DO it! Put the whole dish together and just put the marinade in the casserole dish with the veggies. Leave your fish out until you pull the casserole out of the fridge. Nestle your fish in with the veggies and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes while you preheat your oven to 400F.Your fish won’t cook in the lemon juice that way! It may take a little longer than 30 minutes to cook since it went in cold.
Today’s wine is a fun blend of three grapes that don’t just roll off your tongue: Zibibbo, Catarratto and Grillo. Zibibbo is traditionally used to produce wine (a sweet wine of the same name) on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria, Catarratto is the most planted white grape in Sicily and Grillo is typically used in the production of Marsala. All three grapes come together deliciously in this unusual blend from two young Sicilian winemakers and their brand, Elios_Sicily, (https://www.eliosfood.it/about-us). The unusual grapes come from their own three (biodynamic) vineyards. Nicola and Guido, the winemakers behind the cool brand say that Catarratto gives the acid shoulder, Grillo the structure and Zibibbo the aromatics.
Out of the oven and ready for Dinner!
