Whitefish Provencale

From Michael Smith's The Best of Chef at Home. The book is due back at the library, but I haven't tried the recipes I marked!

When a local fisherman shows up at my door with a fresh halibut, this is the gold standard recipe I reach for. It's my favourite way to add lots of simple, bright Mediterranean flavour to the firm, meaty whitefish. This dish is spectacular enough for a simple occasion but easy enough for a quick weeknight dinner.

a splash of olive oil
4 fresh halibut or other whitefish fillets, 5-6 oz (150-175g) each
a sprinkle or two of sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large ripe local tomatoes or one 28-oz (796ml) can of whole tomatoes
1 large onion, minced
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup (125ml) of capers, drained
1/2 cup (125 ml) of pitted kalamata olives
1/2 cup (125 ml) of pitted green olives
2 tablespoons (30 mL) of balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon (15 mL) of minced fresh oregano or 1 tsp (5mL) of dried

Preheat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add a splash of olive oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan with a thin film.
Pat the halibut fillets dry with a piece of paper towel and then lightly season them with salt and pepper.
Carefully place the fillets in the hot oil and sear on both sides, patiently browning them until the are golden brown and beautiful. They don't have to cook all the way through at this point.
Remove the fillets from the pan and add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, capers, olives, vinegar and oregano. Bring the mixture to a vigorous simmer, then return the halibut to the pan and lower the heat a bit. Nestle the fillets into the tomato mixture and continue cooking until they are cooked through, just a few minutes longer. Serve the halibut with several generous spoonfuls of the tomato mixture.

Freestyle variation: This method is excellent for any whitefish: halibut, hake, haddock, sole, cod, flounder or tilapia. Try adding a few large spoonfuls of pesto instead of oregano. You can easily substitute the zest and juice of a lemon for the balsamic vinegar. Sometimes I like to add a head of chopped fennel to this dish.