Roasted Potatoes with Haddock Puttanesca


Oh guys. I love tearing recipes out of magazines. It brings me such a sense of satisfaction. I like to refer to it as my "weekend work". This recipe came from one of those magazines this past Sunday.

I had my little sister and a friend over for Sunday morning chit chat and we finished off the rest of the pancetta scones. (Yes, that means 8 scones were gone in less than 48 hrs and I didn't really give any of them away). While we all sat around gossiping and clearing out shows from the DVR, I diligently went through the pile of magazines that has been slowly growing in the last few weeks. There was such a sense of satisfaction when I tossed one to the floor. Both of my grandfathers love/loved to read magazines... and it always feels like I'm channeling them when I crush a few magazines on the weekend. My grandfather, Jimbo, got about a million magazine subscriptions ... so I think that's where my obsession/issue/addiction comes from. I'll never forget all the piles of magazines that were on his coffee table. Ever.

So, that's how we ended up with this recipe. 

After doing 4 loads of laundry this evening at the neighborhood laundromat (not for the faint of heart folks), I almost didn't stop to pick up fish for this... but I knew my friend Meghan would be looking for a recap. I hinted to her today that I had a few new recipes up my sleeve and like the good friend she is... she was excited to see me try them. I couldn't let her down.
A few things about this recipe?
Crowd Friendly. I'm not really sure how many of my fish dishes are good for a crowd - but this one is. Maybe not more than like 6 people or so - but still great none the less. It's really just 3 main parts: sauce, potatoes, and fish. So, you cook them and assembly is really easy too. I think the sauce and the potatoes could be easily made in advanced and just re-heated once your fish was ready.
Good for substitutes. While I clearly made this with fish, I think you could do it with chicken if you so chose. This is clutch because you end up with some leftover sauce - and I hate wasting things. I made the sauce for 4 but the fish for 1 - since I'm just one. At some point this week, I'll defrost some chicken and use it with this amazing sauce. Winner, winner.

Here's how it goes.

(Step 1) Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 425°. 
(Step 2) Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium pot over low heat. Add garlic and anchovy paste. Stir and cook until the garlic is soft but not quite brown. Estimate? 4 minutes. 
(Step 3) Add red pepper flakes and the tomato puree. I was highly reluctant to pull my immersion blender from the cabinet - so I didn't. I saw this episode of America's Test Kitchen where they just cut the tomatoes in the can the scissors - so I did that. FYI, it works like a charm... Leave this on low for about15–20 minutes while the sauce reduces. 
(Step 4) Toss 1 Tbsp. oil, potatoes, shallots, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a large bowl to coat. Then spread in a single layer on a baking pan. Roast on top oven rack for 18-25 minutes. I think if you use fingerling potatoes, you will be able to stay on the lower end of the timeframe. I wanted to use the rest of the potatoes from this meal - so it took a few minutes longer. 
(Step 5) Place fish in an 8x8x2" glass baking dish. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 Tbsp. oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the center is opaque. Since I was only cooking fish for one, I opted for a quick and small little pan - but you know ... more fish, bigger dish.
(Step 6) Stir olives into the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
(Step 7) Place potatoes, shallots, and fish on a platter in an even layer. Spoon 1 1/2 cups puttanesca over (reserve remaining sauce for another use).
(Step 8) Garnish with caper berries and parsley. And eat with some red wine. And wear sweatpants.

Shopping List (for 4!)
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tbsp anchovy paste (original recipe called for 4 anchovies but I hate looking at them)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes and their juices, coarsely puréed
1/4 cup halved, pitted oil-cured black olives (I used kalamata ... because I always just use what I have)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more
1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved
8 ounces haddock or halibut fillets, cut into 1 1/2' cubes
1/4 cup halved caper berries or 1 Tbsp. drained capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 comments

  1. This recipe is on the agenda!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kind of reminiscent of your fav cod/tomato/pancetta one ... but super great and different too.

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