Cooking with Martha: Seared Fish with Crispy Potatoes and Green Sauce

I do believe I was tardy to the Martha Stewart party when she first arrived on the scene.  To be honest, though, once I became aware of her and her craftiness I never did seek her out.  I thought she had great ideas, but I was never, and still not, in a position to really follow her closely.  I'm not entirely crafty and I found her cooking style to be rather...pompous.  This is, of course, not to say that she has no talent; she's full of it.  I received one of her larger recipe books, Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook, and I've made a couple of her recipes.  Funny thing is, I'm not a huge baker.  I love to bake, don't get me wrong, but it seriously stresses me out.  Cooking is comfortable; baking is a challenge.  It's so precise and there are usually so many steps, I lose patience easily.  Anyway, about a year ago, one of my coworkers picked up an issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine from the store.  It's like a digest and I actually don't see them on a regular basis at my grocery store.  My coworker bought it before realizing she doesn't cook nearly as much as I do, so she passed it along to me.  This little issue, entitled "Back to Basics," is riddled with really yummy recipes.  I've made a few of them and they've all turned out to be great successes.  My favorite is this one.

Originally, I first followed this recipe closely and seared my fish.  This time around, it was during the summer months, and I wanted to grill everything and anything I could get my hands on.  So, I grilled the salmon for this, instead of cooking it indoors.  It was equally as delicious, especially since the majority of the flavor comes from the incredibly simple and refreshing "Green Sauce."  The sides for this dish have also been a hit.  The Crispy Potatoes are wonderful.  In fact, I provided this recipe to my mom and she easily made it her own and baked each potato with a bit of blue cheese and bacon, making them incredibly decadent.  I also like the roasted tomatoes, which are a nice compliment to the fish and potatoes.  It has something fresh and sweet to the rather heavy plate.  I recently shared the recipe for the fish and Green Sauce with a classmate to share with me and a couple of other girls we grouped with for a few projects last semester.  It was delicious and everyone loved it.  This is definitely a dish you can eat on a weekday by yourself or with your spouse or dress it up on the weekends with guests.


Seared Fish with Crispy Potatoes and Green Sauce
Serves 4
 
3-5 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for the baking sheet, divided
16 Red New Potatoes, small-sized
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
4 Striped Bass or Salmon Fillets, skin-on, 4-6 ounces each
~1/2 Bunch Fresh Mint, finely chopped
~1/2 Bunch Fresh Basil, finely chopped
1 Bunch Fresh Italian Parsley, finely chopped
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 Tablespoon Capers, drained, chopped
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
6 Plum Tomatoes, halved
1/4 teaspoon Sugar

1.  Make the roasted tomatoes:  Preheat oven to 350F.  On a large rimmed baking sheet, arrange the tomatoes in a single layer, cut-side up, and sprinkle with the sugar.  Bake until softened and edges are crinkled, about 30 minutes.
2.  Place the potatoes (left whole, skins intact) in a large saucepan, season with salt, and bring to a boil.  reduce to a simmer, and cook until just tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 15 minutes.  Drain and let cool.
3.  Mix together the mint, basil, parsley, garlic, and capers in a bowl (you can easily put all the ingredients whole into a food processor and certainly save yourself some chopping).  Add the lemon juice and enough of the olive oil to coat.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
4.  Once the tomatoes are done, Increase the oven temperature to 475F.  Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet.  Smash each boiled potato with the base of your palm (or back of a spoon) and place on sheet.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper, and roast until crisp, about 20 minutes.
5.  Meanwhile, score fish skin in a few places with a paring knife and season fillets with salta nd pepper.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add fish, skin-side down, and cook until browned and crisp, about 6-8 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium; flip fish and cook until opaque throughout, about 2-4 minutes more.   
Note:  You can also easily grill the fish, instead, if you'd prefer.
6.  Serve fish with green sauce, potatoes and tomatoes.
Credit:  Stewart, M.  Everyday Food.  September 2009, p. 84-86.