Cernia alla Lampedusana
Cernia alla Lampedusana
Grouper with Capers, Olives, and Tomatoes
Lampedusa, a small Italian island in the Mediterranean that sits closer to Libya than to its current governing body, Sicily, is a beautifully windswept place. The arid land has been whittled by weather and time, creating spectacular beaches that draw enough tourists to sustain the economy. Accordingly, agriculture has waned over the past few decades, and today not much is grown on the island. There are plenty of capers, olives, and tomatoes, however, and this combination appears in seemingly every local dish. Here these ingredients provide a savory and acidic counterpoint to the buttery flesh of the grouper steaks.
Serve with pasta dressed with O’ Pistu Linusaru, or Pesto Pantesco.
Ingredients (9)
Ingredients (9)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 °F.
Place the tomatoes (1 cup) in a medium bowl and season with a heavy pinch of salt until they start to release their liquid.
Grease a large casserole with 2 Tbsp of the olive oil.
Season the grouper steaks (4 pieces) with salt on both sides and place them in the prepared casserole with some space between them.
Evenly distribute the garlic (2 cloves), capers (2 Tbsp), olives (¼ cup), and the salted tomatoes over the fish.
Season with the red pepper flakes (½ tsp), oregano (1 Tbsp), and salt. Drizzle over the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil.
Add a drizzle of water to the casserole so there’s a little more liquid alongside the oil.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the fish is cooked through and firm to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes.
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