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Serves 4
A few weeks ago at Rucola, a favorite Brooklyn, N.Y., restaurant, I ordered a whole roasted brook trout that came with a generous spoonful of lemony olives. It was delicious, very fresh fish topped with salty, briny olives that had a little heat. A sauce like that is perfect for our local striped bass, fish with dense flesh (not as dense as swordfish) that pairs beautifully with the garnish. When cooking fish, use a meat thermometer to get the temperature exact: 145 degrees will give you flaky fish with all its juices. Yes, you can cut into the middle of the fish to see if the flesh is opaque, but a thermometer is neater and more exact. Once the striper comes out of the oven, spoon the olive garnish onto the pieces and scatter fresh oregano or parsley on top. Use the olive sauce with other local fish, such as hake, haddock, swordfish, bluefish, or mackerel.
| Olive oil (for sprinkling) | |
| 1½ | pounds boneless striped bass, cut into 4 even-sized pieces |
| Salt and black pepper, to taste | |
| 1¼ | cups mixed pitted olives (such as Kalamata, Castelvetrano, Manzanilla), coarsely chopped |
| Grated rind of 1 lemon | |
| Juice of 1/2 lemon | |
| 2 | tablespoons olive oil |
| ¼ | teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more to taste |
| 1 | clove garlic, crushed |
| ½ | teaspoon honey, or more to taste |
| 1 | tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or parsley |
| ¼ | cup fresh oregano or parsley leaves (for garnish) |
| 1 | lemon, cut into wedges (for garnish) |
1. Set the oven at 425 degrees. Oil a 12-inch baking dish that will hold the fish in one layer.
2. Set the fish in the dish, skin side down. Sprinkle the flesh side with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
3. Transfer the fish to the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fish registers 145 degrees.
4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the olives, lemon rind and juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, red pepper, garlic, honey, and chopped oregano or parsley. Taste for seasoning and add more red pepper or honey, if you like. (The olives are salty enough so you won’t need any additional salt.)
5. Divide the fish among 4 plates. Spoon the olive mixture over the fish. Garnish with lemon and oregano or parsley leaves. Serve with roasted potatoes.
Sheryl Julian. Adapted from Rucola restaurant
Serves 4
A few weeks ago at Rucola, a favorite Brooklyn, N.Y., restaurant, I ordered a whole roasted brook trout that came with a generous spoonful of lemony olives. It was delicious, very fresh fish topped with salty, briny olives that had a little heat. A sauce like that is perfect for our local striped bass, fish with dense flesh (not as dense as swordfish) that pairs beautifully with the garnish. When cooking fish, use a meat thermometer to get the temperature exact: 145 degrees will give you flaky fish with all its juices. Yes, you can cut into the middle of the fish to see if the flesh is opaque, but a thermometer is neater and more exact. Once the striper comes out of the oven, spoon the olive garnish onto the pieces and scatter fresh oregano or parsley on top. Use the olive sauce with other local fish, such as hake, haddock, swordfish, bluefish, or mackerel.
| Olive oil (for sprinkling) | |
| 1½ | pounds boneless striped bass, cut into 4 even-sized pieces |
| Salt and black pepper, to taste | |
| 1¼ | cups mixed pitted olives (such as Kalamata, Castelvetrano, Manzanilla), coarsely chopped |
| Grated rind of 1 lemon | |
| Juice of 1/2 lemon | |
| 2 | tablespoons olive oil |
| ¼ | teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more to taste |
| 1 | clove garlic, crushed |
| ½ | teaspoon honey, or more to taste |
| 1 | tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or parsley |
| ¼ | cup fresh oregano or parsley leaves (for garnish) |
| 1 | lemon, cut into wedges (for garnish) |
1. Set the oven at 425 degrees. Oil a 12-inch baking dish that will hold the fish in one layer.
2. Set the fish in the dish, skin side down. Sprinkle the flesh side with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
3. Transfer the fish to the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fish registers 145 degrees.
4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the olives, lemon rind and juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, red pepper, garlic, honey, and chopped oregano or parsley. Taste for seasoning and add more red pepper or honey, if you like. (The olives are salty enough so you won’t need any additional salt.)
5. Divide the fish among 4 plates. Spoon the olive mixture over the fish. Garnish with lemon and oregano or parsley leaves. Serve with roasted potatoes.
Sheryl Julian can be reached at sheryl.julian@globe.com.