Lingcod in a Dutch Oven with Tomatoes and Peppers
This recipe came together when I had an abundance of shishito peppers and a desire to use my grandmother's very old enameled cast-iron dutch oven. I didn't expect the shishitos to grow nearly so well in my foggy cool conditions, but there they were in abundance, and it made for a lovely dinner. Lingcod is a mild, firm white fleshed fish (although the flesh can actually start out blue or green! it's okay, that's normal). Other firm white fleshed fish like halibut, rock cod, or tilapia can be substituted in for lingcod, here. And similarly, other thin-walled mild-but-with-a-little-kick peppers (like padron or banana) can be subbed in for the shishitos.
Ingredients
- 1.5 to 2 lbs lingcod fillets (cut into thick portions)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6-8 shishito peppers (approximately 2+ oz)
- 1 small bunch of fresh spinach leaves, with any tough stems removed
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Method
Trim the stems off the shishito peppers, but otherwise leave them intact.
Heat olive oil in your Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic. Cook for one minute.
Stir in the cherry tomatoes, white wine, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Simmer for five minutes until the tomatoes start to soften and release their juices.
Scatter the fresh spinach into the bottom of the pot. Stir for a minute or two until the leaves are a bit wilted, and then mix in the peppers.
Lay the lingcod fillets face down on top of the tomatoes and greens. Spoon some of the juices over the fish.
Cover the Dutch oven with its lid. Reduce heat to medium-low.
Let it simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. remove the lid to flip over the fillets, and spoon some sauce on top of them. Return the lid, and simmer for another 4 to 5 minutes. The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork and turns opaque.
Remove from heat, plate the fish, and mix the chopped fresh basil into the tomato/pepper/spinach sauce, and serve over the fish immediately.