Dotnom

Steamed Fish With Ratatouille

Ingredients

• 1 large or 2 medium zucchini
• 1 medium or 2 small eggplants
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cored
• 2 medium or 3 small tomatoes, cored
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, or more as needed
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 large onion, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup Nicoise or kalamata olives, pitted, optional
• 4 thick fish fillets or steaks
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

1. Trim and cut the zucchini and eggplant into 1-inch chunks.
2. Cut the pepper into strips.
3. Roughly chop the tomatoes, reserving their juice.
4. Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and immediately add the garlic.
5. When it begins to sizzle, add the onion and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Add the zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, and another sprinkle of salt and pepper.
8. Lower the heat a bit to keep the vegetables from burning and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is fairly soft, another 10 to 15 minutes.
9. Add the tomatoes and their juice, the thyme, and the olives and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down, another 5 to 10 minutes.
10. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
11. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper and lay it on top of the vegetables.
12. Adjust the heat so the mixture simmers.
13. Cover and cook until the fish is opaque throughout and a paring knife inserted into the fish at its thickest point meets little resistance.
14. This will take anywhere from 5 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
15. Transfer the fish to a platter, then stir the basil into the vegetables.
16. Spoon the vegetables around the fish, drizzle everything with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and serve.

Attribution