I love capers and olives. Any dish that incorporates these ingredients immediately grabs my attention. Provençal style dishes are one of these dishes. That French style of simmering in a tomato and olive based sauced is just delicious. For this version of a Provençal, I use grouper. I think grouper fillets are well complemented by the Provençal sauce. Snapper would also work in this dish. Honestly, any slightly firmer white fish could be substituted. Here is my version of a Provençal with grouper fillets.
Ingredients
4-6 grouper fillets, boneless and skinless
Salt and pepper
Herbes de Provence
4-6 grouper fillets, boneless and skinless
Salt and pepper
Herbes de Provence
Olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp capers
15 green olives, pitted
15 kalamata olives, pitted
7-10 small sprigs of thyme
¼ cup chopped parsley
Pat the grouper fillets with a paper towel to ensure they are dry. Season both sides of each filet with salt, pepper, and Herbes de Provence.
In a pan over medium to medium-high heat, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then add the grouper fillets. Do not crowd them in the pan. Cook the grouper 2 to 3 filets at a time, depending on the size of your pan. Sear them for 2-3 minutes per side, until each side browns. You do not need to cook them through, you will finish the cooking of the filets later. Place the filets on a plate to the side for now.
Set another pan over medium heat (ensure the pan is deep enough to make a sauce and large enough to fit all of your grouper fillets). Add another tablespoon or two of olive oil to this pan, and add the onions and bell pepper. Allow it to cook until softened, about 5 minutes or so. Once softened, add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add in the crushed tomatoes and stir to mix the ingredients in the pan, then add the capers, green olives, kalamata olives, and thyme. Stir to fully blend everything. Turn the heat to low, place a lid on the pan, and allow the tomato mixture to cook for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, add the grouper fillets to the pan. Nestle them into the sauce, but they do not need to be fully covered in the sauce. Return the lid to the pan and allow the grouper to cook until it is flaky and completely cooked through, about 5-10 minutes.
Once the fish is cooked through, turn off the heat, and you are ready to serve. I recommend serving this dish over rice or rice pilaf. I think a summer squash medley of thinly sliced squash is a perfect accompaniment for this dish. Serve a grouper filet atop the rice or rice pilaf and spoon a generous helping of the sauce and ingredients atop the fish. Garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!