This easy but exciting preparation for white fish is all cooked in a skillet (no baking required), and is topped with a beautiful, greek-style tapenade of tomatoes, olives, artichokes, and capers.
Why You Should Add This Dish to Your Rotation
It’s Easy
There are only three ingredients that require cutting/chopping in this recipe — shallots, artichokes, and olives.
Aside from the shallots and spinach, all of the tapenade ingredients are packaged goods — diced tomatoes, olives, artichokes, capers, and crushed red pepper.
Everything is cooked in a single pan. No baking required!
It’s Healthy and Good for Your Gut
Those who subscribe to a Mediterranean diet will find this dish tasty and complaint. It includes staples of the diet, including healthy fats, fiber, lean proteins, vegetables, and white wine.
White fish with tapenade is also good for out gut. When our gut is healthy, we are more healthy. A healthy gut microbiome supports our immune system, hormone levels, metabolism, mental health and brain function, and skin health.
We’ve discussed at length the benefits of plant fiber diversity for gut health (remember the recommended 40 plants per week?). This dish provides at least 7 different plant fibers.
In addition to plant fiber diversity, this dish includes ingredients that are particularly gut-healthy, including:
Artichokes: This plant is excellent for gut health due to its high fiber content, particularly inulin, a type of prebiotic fiber. Prebiotics feed beneficial gut bacteria, promoting a healthy microbiome, which supports digestion and overall gut function.
Olives: Olives contain healthy fats, fiber, and compounds that support digestion and gut function. Their high content of monounsaturated fats, especially oleic acid, can reduce inflammation in the gut, promoting a healthy digestive system. Olives are also rich in polyphenols, which act as antioxidants.
Some olives are probiotic. Look for unpasteurized, naturally fermented olives often found in the refrigerated section of stores. They can help introduce good bacteria into your gut, supporting digestion and overall gut health.
Shallots: Shallots are beneficial for gut health primarily due to their high content of prebiotic fiber and antioxidants. They also contain flavonoids and sulfur compounds, which have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.
It’s Guest Worthy
In addition to adding amazing flavor, the colorful tapenade in this dish makes for a great presentation. If you are serving health conscious guests who enjoy seafood, this is a great choice. Serve it on a platter or individually on each guest’s plate, along with grilled vegetables, roasted potatoes, or rice.
Ingredients
While the ingredient list might look long, it’s a straight-forward preparation!
- olive oil
- white fish fillets (e.g., cod, sea bass)
- shallots
- white wine
- low sodium diced tomatoes (canned)
- marinated artichokes
- pitted greek olives
- capers
- crushed red pepper flakes
- fresh spinach
- salt and pepper
- parsley for garnish (optional)
Scroll to the recipe card below for exact quantities.
Instructions
In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat.
Ensure fish fillets are dry. Place them on the skillet and cook for about 2.5 minutes per side, or to an internal temp of 130-135°. Transfer the fillets to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
In the same pan, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Add the shallots and saute for 1 – 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook for roughly 2 more minutes, until reduced in half.
Add the tomatoes, artichokes, olives, capers, and crushed red pepper. Cook for 3 minutes.
Stir in the spinach and cook until it wilts, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the tapenade over the fish and serve.
Recipe FAQs
What types of white fish can I use?
You can use any firm white fish, such as cod, halibut, sea bass, snapper, tilapia, or haddock. These types of fish hold up well to pan cooking and won’t easily fall apart, making them perfect for this dish.
What type of pan should I use?
A non-stick or stainless-steel skillet is the best choice for this recipe. The pan should be large enough to avoid crowding the fish, which helps ensure it cooks evenly and gets a nice sear.
How do I prevent the fish from sticking to the pan?
To prevent sticking, make sure the pan is fully preheated on medium-high heat before adding oil. The oil should be shimmering and hot before you place the fish in the pan. Additionally, pat the fish dry before seasoning it, as moisture can cause it to stick.
Should I use canned or jarred artichokes?
Either canned or jarred artichoke hearts work perfectly for this dish and are very convenient. If you prefer to use fresh artichokes, you’ll need to blanch or steam them before adding them to the pan, as they take longer to cook.
What type of olives should I use?
Kalamata olives are a great choice for their rich, briny flavor, which pairs well with the other Mediterranean ingredients. Any other briny olive will also work. Just make sure the olives are pitted and chopped before adding them to the dish. Here are two types of olives I used from Trader Joe’s. Together, the green and brown colors are visually appealing in the tapenade.
White Fish with Tomato Artichoke Tapenade
Ingredients
- 4 tsp olive oil, divided
- 4 white fish fillets (e.g., cod, sea bass) roughly 5-oz each
- 2 large shallots, chopped
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 2/3 cup low sodium diced tomatoes (canned, with juice)
- 1/3 cup marinated artichokes, chopped
- 1/3 cup pitted greek olives (green and/or kalamata), chopped
- 1.5 tbsp capers
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Italian parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Ensure fish fillets are dry. Place them on the skillet and cook for about 2.5 minutes per side, or to an internal temp of 130-135°. Transfer the fillets to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
- In the same pan, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Add the shallots and saute for 1 - 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook for roughly 2 more minutes, until reduced in half.
- Add the tomatoes, artichokes, olives, capers, and crushed red pepper. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach and cook until it wilts, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour the tapenade over the fish. Serve, garnished with parsley if desired.
One Response
colorful and tasty! So much better than soggy baked fish.