This healthy Mediterranean Sea Bass is smothered in a piquant, healthy, Mediterranean-inspired sauce made from tomatoes, white wine, fennel and olives.

Ingredients

For the Sauce

  • 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 1/2 cup chopped fennel
  • One 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices
  • 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, very thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper

For the Fish

  • Four 4-6 ounce skinless Chilean sea bass fillets, or other sustainable firm white-fleshed fish fillets such as halibut, cod or striped bass
  • Organic olive oil cooking spray
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. Set the racks in the middle and upper thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 F

For the Sauce

  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until golden, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the fennel and cook until the vegetables are soft and translucent, an additional 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the tomatoes with their juices. Using the back of a wooden spoon, smash the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Add the basil, wine, olives, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
  5. Reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened, while you prepare the fish.

For the Fish

  1. Pat the fillets dry, lightly spray them with cooking spray,  and season with salt and pepper.
  2. In a heavy ovenproof skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the fillets, rounded-side down, and cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Carefully flip the fillets with a metal spatula and place the skillet in the oven. Bake until the fish is no longer translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
  4. Switch the oven to broil and place the skillet on the upper rack. Broil until the tops of the fillets are golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
  5. Arrange the fillets on individual plates, spoon on the sauce, and serve.

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