This quick and easy Mediterranean fish recipe is the perfect weeknight meal you need to add to your meal plan. Full of Mediterranean flavours using fresh ingredients and a blend of spices, this perfectly flaky fish comes together in 20 minutes. It's perfect served with fluffy yellow rice!
Why Fish is Great for Weeknights!
So what's the key to a quick meal that comes together in 20 minutes? You need ingredients that cook quickly and fish is perfect for that! Not only does it cook up super fast, but it also goes so well with all the Mediterranean flavours in this dish.
Fresh peppers, onions, tomato paste, spices and a hint of pomegranate molasses make for a delicious sauce that gets scooped up over the fish. You can easily serve it with some crusty bread, fluffy Mediterranean yellow rice, or Arabic vermicelli rice.
Did I mention it's all done in one skillet? Using one pan means all that flavour doesn't get lost anywhere!
Ingredients You'll Need to Make This Recipe
For starters you're going to need some quality fish for this Mediterranean fish recipe. My favourite has to be rainbow trout and it's what I use in this recipe. Other white fish like Tilapia will work, along with Salmon.
The pomegranate molasses in the recipe is optional but it really adds some depth of flavour. It's easy to get from your local Middle Eastern shop, Amazon or the international aisle of many supermarkets. If you can get your hands on it, I highly recommend using it here!
As for the rest of the sauce ingredients, they are simple and easy:
- Fresh peppers (I like yellow or red)
- onions
- garlic
- tomato paste
- spices: Turmeric, paprika, coriander, cumin, salt & pepper
How to Make This Recipe Step by Step
First you're going to start off by getting some flavour into that fish. We make a quick marinade with some oil and the spices: cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, salt and pepper.
Next, you want to cut your rainbow trout fillet into 4 pieces as equally as you can. Skip this step if your fish is already cut into pieces.
Slather the marinade all over the fish pieces and coat them well. Set aside about 1-2 teaspoons of the marinade to be added to the sauce.
In a non-stick skillet, heat up a neutral oil (such as avocado) and sear the fish pieces on each side for 1 minute, on medium heat. The fish is going to continue cooking in the sauce so it doesn't need to be fully cooked at this step.
TIP: For perfectly flaky fish make sure you only sear the fish for a minute on each side. It will cook with the sauce later, and this ensures you avoid overcooking your fish!
Remove and set aside the fish. Get started on the delicious pan sauce! Add in the onions and allow them to soften for a few minutes before adding the garlic, the rest of the spice paste and the tomato paste.
A little hot water gets added to create the sauce (it's going to start smelling so good now!). Cover and simmer it for a few minutes just to get the flavours melding together.
Add the fish back in, cover and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes until it is cooked.
And that is it! So quick and easy, just serve it with some fragrant yellow rice and a salad and your meal is ready!
Frequently Asked Questions
What other types of fish can I use to make this recipe?
Any other white firm fish would work well, like Tilapia, Cod, Halibut etc. Salmon also works really well but depending on how thick it is it may take longer to cook!
Can this dish be made in advance?
Yes! Just don't over cook the fish, you don't want overcooked fish, especially if it needs to be reheated.
What else can I serve this with?
You can serve this Mediterranean fish dish with some crusty bread, any rice dish, or a side salad like fattoush or Lebanese malfouf salad.
Can I use frozen fish?
Although not ideal, you could use frozen fish. Make sure it's not too thin or it will fall apart while cooking. For best results though, fresh is best!
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20-Minute Mediterranean Fish with Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 Rainbow Trout fillet
- ½ onion finely chopped
- ½ bell pepper finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses optional
For the Spice Blend:
- 3 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon salt add more per preference
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ to 1 teaspoon turmeric
Instructions
- Combine together the spices with the oil and mix well
- Cut the fillet into 4 pieces
- Slather the spice paste all over the rainbow trout. Set aside 1-2 teaspoons of the marinade to be used later.
- In a non-stick skillet over medium high heat, sear the fish pieces on each side for 1 minute
- Remove and set aside
- Add in the onions, garlic, and the rest of the spice paste and tomato paste
- Cook stirring over medium heat for a few minutes until the onions soften
- Add 1 - 1.5 cups hot water and mix to create a sauce
- Cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes
- Add the fish pieces, cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the fish is perfectly cooked
- Serve with yellow rice and a salad, Enjoy!
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