Roasted Fish with Cherry Tomatoes

Quick and easy, with an elegant finish, this dinner uses grape or cherry tomatoes roasted with garlic, shallots, vinegar and a drizzle of honey. Roasting the tomato mixture turns them into a sweet and savory condiment for simple roasted fish. This recipe is very versatile, can be prepared year-round, and is delicious with juicy tomato sauce. Thick white fish such as grouper, halibut or cod work well here; and thinner filets such as flounder or snapper also work very well, cooked just a little less time. Because of being smothered in the juices and tomatoes, this is a very forgiving way to cook fish. Serve with rice, couscous, green vegetable or your favorite grains, and a green salad.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup thinly sliced shallots (about 1 large)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
• 4 (6-ounce) skin-on mild white fish fillets, such as cod or halibut
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest (from about 1/2 lemon)
•  Chopped fresh basil, for serving (optional)
•  Chopped fresh mint, for serving (optional)

MEDITERRANEAN ADDITIONS:

• 1 cup Katamala olives, some halved and some whole
• 2 tablespoons capers with some caper brine

METHOD

1. Remove from oven and sprinkle the entire dish with the optional basil and mint, if desired (I prefer to serve without the herb garnishes). Serve the fish with the tomatoes, spooning any remaining juices on top.

2. While the tomato mixture roasts, pat the fish dry with paper towels, brush all over with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper.

3. When the tomato mixture is bubbling and some of the juices have evaporated, remove from the oven and move the tomato mixture to the sides of the dish and nestle the fish fillets, evenly spaced, into the tomato mixture. Roast until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes (or more for thick filets).

4. Remove from oven and sprinkle the entire dish with the optional basil and mint, if desired (I prefer to serve without the herb garnishes). Serve the fish with the tomatoes, spooning any remaining juices on top.

MEDITERRANEAN VARIATION:

To the above, I added 1 cup Katamala olives (some whole and some halved) as well as 2 tablespoons of capers, and also added a teaspoon of the caper brine as well as a tablespoon of the Katamala olive brine to the above recipe. It was delicious!