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Fish Steamed over Summer Vegetables

Burcu Avsar and Zach DeSart

BY The Editors

PUBLISHED April 6, 2024

Versatile and foolproof, this “ratatouille-plus” recipe provides both fish and side dish in one fell swoop. The idea is to give the vegetables—whichever you choose—a head start in a hot skillet, then use them as a bed to steam sturdy fillets, steaks, or even a whole fish (which might take just a couple of minutes longer). The chart that follows has even more ideas.

 

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Fish Steamed over Summer Vegetables

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 to 40 minutes

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 eggplant, peeled if you like, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 pound tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme or oregano
  • 1/2 cup pitted black olives
  • 1 1/2 pounds thick fish fillets or steaks, cut into 4 portions, one 3- to 4-pound whole fish, or four 1-pound whole fish 1 cup chopped fresh basil

Instructions

  1. Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the onion and garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add the zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, and more salt and pepper. Adjust the heat so the vegetables sizzle, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is fork- tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme, and olives and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break up, 5 minutes or so. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
  3. Cut the fillets to fit the skillet if necessary. Lay the fish on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and adjust the heat so the vegetables bubble steadily. Cover and cook the thinnest fillets for 5 minutes, thick fillets or steaks about twice that long or a few even longer; small whole fish should take about 15 minutes, a large one might take as long as 30 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a thin-bladed knife into the fish at its thickest point; it should meet little resistance, and the inside should be almost opaque. Transfer the fish to plates or a platter. (If you’d like, remove the skins and bones from large whole fish first serve as is.) Stir the basil into the vegetables, taste, and adjust the seasoning. To serve, spoon the vegetables around the fish and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.

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