Smarter Living: Recipes

photo: Mr Jaded/Flickr

For those who say that pollock can only be pan-fried to taste good, here is a way to make even frozen pollock turn into a colorful, flavorful dish. Reprinted with kind permission from Judith Jones’ The Book Of New England Cookery(2001, University Press of New England).

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound pollock fillets
• 1 lemon
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 green peppers, seeds and ribs removed, cut into strips
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
• 3 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or ¼ tsp dried
• 1 cup dry cider or white wine
• ½ cup applejack, rum or bourbon

Method

1. Wipe the fillets with a damp cloth and sprinkle them with the juice of ½ lemon. Cut the other ½ lemon into four wedges and reserve.
2. Heat a shallow flameproof casserole, add 4 tablespoons oil and saute the green pepper strips, onions and garlic for about three minutes. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, the bay leaf, a light sprinkling of salt and pepper and the thyme.
3. Cover the casserole and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Arrange the pollock fillets on top of the vegetable mixture and top each with a lemon wedge and a sprinkling of the remaining oil.
4. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 15 minutes, then add the cider or wine and the liquor. Continue baking for about 25 minutes, until the pollock is easily pierced when tested with a fork. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

last revised 8/9/2011