Fish isn't just for Fridays though I grew up with many that thought just that.
Maybe it was the Friday fish frys or the "can't eat meat on Friday" crowd that still keeps that thought in my head.
In my case I could eat fish every night of the week and am only hampered by how often I go to the grocery.
In this case we ate fish on Saturday night and I loved how simple this recipe was to put together.
5 minutes and this delicate snapper was placed in a bath of olive oil, topped with pine nuts and raisins and placed in the oven to transform itself a beautifully seasoned fish!
This is an old Italian Jewish recipe of the Sephardic tradition.
Italian Jewish cuisine is a fusion of flavors with roots of Spanish, Middle Eastern and North African origin.
Garlic, vinegar, raisins and pine nuts were traditionally used in Jewish Italian cooking over a thousand years ago.
Hard to believe and I find it fascinating. This baked fish is a recipe from The Classic Cuisine of Italian Jews.
Perfect for our Passover holidays and perfect anytime of the year.
I loved the simplicity of this fish. Basically rather than braising a fish in oil on the stove top, this one is done in the oven.
Don't be afraid by the amount of oil necessary, as this is what makes the fish tender and succulent.
The raisins do not make this dish too sweet. I promise, Mom!
Perhaps this is where the famous sweet and sour combo came from, though this did lack the definitive sweet and sour taste.
Maybe it was because I embellished this fish with a good healthy grind of fresh black pepper. Which I suggest you do too!
Recipe
Olive Oil Baked Fish with Raisins and Pine Nuts
- Prep Time: 5 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 Servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Jewish
Description
This super simple way to prepare fish basically involves poaching your fish in olive oil. Kind of a sweet, sour, peppery combination that takes less than 15 minutes to make.
Ingredients
1 lb red snapper fillets
¼ c olive oil
½ t sugar
1 ½ T red wine vinegar
⅓ c raisins
1 ½ T pine nuts
Fresh ground black pepper
Salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Pat fish dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt.
Oil a baking dish with oil and place fish in it.
Dissolve sugar in the vinegar and pour over fish.
Pour the oil around the fish and then toss the raisins and pine nuts in the oil and place on top of fish.
Grind black pepper over the top if desired and cover with foil.
Bake 10 minutes, uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes more or until fish is flaky.
Mary says
I could not see an oven temp
Abbe says
Mary, I really need to double check. Thanks for catching this. It is 400 degrees! And a really good recipe!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
Abbe, your fish sounds great...it reminds me of a dish you would find in Sicily. Snapper is a fish that is always available here in Florida so I will be trying it soon.
Jeff says
My gosh this looks good. It looks like a festival!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Ok that it Abbe! We are officially moving in. This fish dish looks so good . Love the crunch of the pine nuts and delicious herbs.
Kitchen Riffs says
Sounds great! Love fish cooked this way. I don't often poach fish in olive oil, but that's fun too. I could eat fish every single day too -- so good, isn't it?
SavoringTime in the Kitchen says
It looks so moist and delicious made this way! The more fish the better, IMO!
Liz Berg says
I need to try snapper on Bill. He's very limited on the seafood he'll eat (small town Illinois upbringing to blame!). This combo sounds fabulous!
Angie Schneider says
I grew up eating fish daily! The fish fillets are flaky and tender..a great combo of flavours.
Tricia Buice says
Pinned this one to try later! Love red snapper and I bet those raisins and pine nuts really seal the deal!