Italian Easy
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[Photographs: Deborah Mele]

Pan frying is a great way to cook any non-fatty fish filets. The seasoned flour coating protects the flesh from direct heat and helps keep the fish moist, while also providing an appetizing golden brown exterior. This method of preparation also allows you to use less oil, keeping your dish healthy. Best of all, fish filets cook up very quickly, so you can get dinner on the table in no time at all.

When choosing olives, I prefer full flavored ones like Gaeta, Kalamata, Bella di Cerignola, or Taggiasca. I only buy oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, which are not only sweeter and more flavorful than the basic dried ones, but don't need to be rehydrated prior to use.

About the Author: Deborah Mele is the owner of Italian Food Forever, an Italian recipe blog, as well as Recipe Rebuild, a healthy recipe blog she shares with her daughter Christy, an RD. Deborah lives 6 months a year in Umbria, Italy where she oversees her guest house Il Casale di Mele.

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeariousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 whitefish fillets, about 6 to 8 ounces each
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 6 whole frozen artichokes, thawed, and thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons salted capers, rinsed well
  • 1/4 cup flavorful green or black olives (see notes above)
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 4 oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped (see notes above)
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • Juice from half a lemon, about 2 tablespoons
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves

Procedures

  1. Season the flour with salt and pepper and place in a shallow bowl. Dredge the fish fillets in the flour until well coated.

  2. Heat half the olive in a heavy skillet until lightly smoking, then fry the artichokes until they begin to brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add the capers, olives, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to mix. Place the artichoke mixture in a bowl and set aside until needed.

  3. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet until lightly smoking over medium heat, then add the fillets to the pan. Cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Place the fillets on a heated plate, cover and keep warm.

  4. Return the artichoke mixture to the skillet along with the wine. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook until the wine has reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the lemon, butter and parsley. Serve the fillets on a platter topped with the artichoke mixture.