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Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s go-to midweek fish with tomatoes, harissa and fennel

Julia Busuttil Nishimura
Julia Busuttil Nishimura

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Fish with tomatoes, harissa and fennel.
Fish with tomatoes, harissa and fennel.William Meppem

This is one of my go-to dinners during the week; it’s quick, nourishing and versatile. Sometimes I use prawns instead of fish and I’ll often add some canned chickpeas or lentils – or a handful of baby spinach – at the last moment. The harissa adds spice and warmth to the dish, but can be left out if you don’t want the heat.

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Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

  • 1 fennel bulb, diced, fronds reserved

  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

  • 1 tsp fennel seeds

  • 1 tbsp harissa

  • 50ml dry white wine or vermouth

  • 400g cherry tomatoes

  • 3 strips lemon peel

  • 4 x 125g Murray cod fillets*, skinless and pin-boned

  • salt, to taste

To serve

  • plain, full-fat yoghurt

  • coriander leaves, roughly chopped

  • toasted pine nuts

  • lemon wedges

Method

  1. Step 1

    In a deep frying pan, warm the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the fennel and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until beginning to soften and colour.

  2. Step 2

    Add the garlic, fennel seeds and harissa and stir to coat the fennel, cooking for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the wine or vermouth and deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release anything stuck to the base.

  3. Step 3

    Add the cherry tomatoes and then cook for 8-10 minutes or until they start to collapse. Add the lemon peel and pour in 400ml of water. Season to taste. Simmer for 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly.

  4. Step 4

    Reduce the heat to low-medium and nestle the fish into the brothy tomatoes. Cook for 3-4 minutes uncovered. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for a further 3-4 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through. Season to taste.

  5. Step 5

    Top the fish with the yoghurt, coriander leaves, reserved fennel fronds, toasted pine nuts and a good drizzle of olive oil. Serve with lemon wedges.

*Note: I’ve chosen Murray cod here, but snapper or barramundi are also lovely. Simply ask your fishmonger what they recommend on the day.

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Julia Busuttil NishimuraJulia Busuttil Nishimura is a Melbourne-based cookbook author, Good Weekend columnist and host of Good Food Kitchen.

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Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/recipes/julia-busuttil-nishimura-s-go-to-midweek-fish-with-tomatoes-harissa-and-fennel-20240222-p5f6yr.html