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+ servings

Saffron-Orange Whitefish

A stunning, light and healthy fish dish that's easy to prepare and unbelievably delicious!
*You should read through the entire recipe before beginning so you can plan to have the fish and salsa ready at the same time.
Prep Time43 minutes
Cook Time7 minutes
Marinating30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Spanish
Keyword: fish for dinner party, light and healthy recipes
Servings: 6
Calories: 168kcal

Ingredients

For the fish

  • 2 pounds Whitefish, cut into 6 (approximately 5 ¼-ounce) fillets -- skin on
  • 1 pinch saffron threads
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  • olive oil for the pan
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salsa

Instructions

For the fish

  • If you didn't already ask your fish monger to portion the fish (they're usually happy to do so), cut it into 6 (approximately 5 ¼-ounce) portions, leaving the skin on. Place them in a baking pan.
  • Add the pinch of saffron threads to a mortar.
    affron-Orange White Fish with Tomato-Basil Salsa -- A stunning, light and healthy fish dish that's easy to prepare and unbelievably delicious!
  • Use the pestle to grind the spice until it's a powder. This should only take a few seconds.
    Saffron threads in dark grey mortar with a pestle.
  • Add the orange juice to the mortar and then drizzle the mixture evenly over the fish fillets.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate.
  • Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil and place it over high heat. Sprinkle the marinated fish with salt and pepper. Once the pan is very hot, add the fish fillets (do not crowd the pan, so only add as many as will fit with at least 2 -inches between them -- you can always do a second batch). You should hear sizzling when the fish hits the pan -- if you don't, it's not hot enough yet. Sauté just until the fish is cooked through, about 5 minutes. After about the first minute, cover the pan with foil or a lid. (If you don't like the crispy skin, it will easily slide off once the fish is cooked.)

For the salsa

  • Combine the onion, tomato, basil, sherry vinegar and oil in a small sauté pan. Place the pan over medium heat and cook only long enough to warm it, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.) Try to time the fish and salsa so they're ready at about the same time!
  • Add the fish to a large platter, or individual serving plates and spoon some of the salsa over each portion.
  • Serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 168kcal