This is my own rendition of a dish I've eaten quite a few times and grew to love for how it sits so well and doesn't feel heavy (a good spring dish). It's a little more complicated than just throwing a bunch of ingredients in the pot but I really enjoy preparing this. It's got the 'wow' factor too if you're looking to impress. ;)
4 portions (I usually prepare this for friends)
4 filets fresh tilapia
1 head escarole
6 cherry tomatoes halved
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can white beans or chick peas
salt & pepper to taste
1 lemon
1 medium red potato (sliced VERY thin. I slice it with a vegetable peeler)
Olive Tapenade:
1/2 cup kalamata olives (pitted)
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tsp olive oil
**usually tapenade contains anchovy paste HOWEVER I did not have this on hand so I did not use it. If you want to add it, put in about a 1/4 teaspoon
drizzle of simple pesto.
Make the Tapenade first. I use my small food processor. If you don't have one, get ready to chop the hell out of those olives. The tapenade needs to be like a paste almost.
Add olives (PITTED), pepper flakes, olive oil and anchovy paste (if you use it) in the food processor and simply process until paste-like.
in a large skillet saute chopped garlic in 1/2 tbsn olive oil for one minute on medium high heat. Add escarole and beans to the mix and sprinkle salt & pepper to taste and juice from 1/2 of the lemon. Once the escarole has wilted (and still looks pretty green) turn the heat to low to keep warm in the pan.
Pat your tilapia filets dry on a cutting board and spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of the tapenade mixture onto each filet. Spread the mixture over your fish with your fingers until covered. Place potato slices on top of the tapenade and press down gently to bind the potato to the fish. Overlap the potato slices over the fish so that they can bind together while cooking. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on the potatoes.
Place any remaining tapenade that you did not use on the fish in your vegetable mixture and stir. This adds great flavor! If the beans seem to be on the dry side, you should add a bit of vegetable stock or even a little bit of water or white wine. (about 1/4 cup) Add the cherry tomatoes to the vegetables at this time and raise the heat back up to medium so the flavors can marry.
**IN A NON STICK PAN (this WILL NOT WORK in a regular pan)
heat olive oil for a few minutes at medium and place the fish potato side down in the oil raise the heat to medium high so the potato starts to sizzle. Let the fish cook for about 7 minutes on that side (you want the potato crust to become crispy and golden so that you can flip it easily. After you see that the potato crust is golden on the edges, GENTLY turn the fish. I use both hands for this. One holding spatula and the other actually touching the fish so it gently flips without splattering oil. cook for another 2 minutes and remove from heat.
I like to serve the fish over the vegetables and I drizzle some of my pesto on top of the fish and on the plate with a lemon wedge. My pesto is simply Olive oil, fresh parsley, chopped garlic, salt & pepper. Se delicious on so many things. I make a bowl every few weeks and put it on my eggs, meat and pasta.
I'll try to get a video demo of how to cook this fish up here eventually.
