There are many versions of white fish with a provincial twist of olives, tomato, and capers; the main ingredients of the olive paste known as:“Tapenade”.
According to the French Chef Jean-Baptiste Reboul's book “La Cuisinière Provençale”.
“Tapenade” was first introduced in the late 19th century by the Bavarian chef Meyner at the Maison Dorée restaurant, located in Marseille.
This delicious olive paste is very versatile and capable of adding complex flavors and richness to any basic dish. A good example is this simple, yet flavorful recipe that combines only two ingredients: cod fish filet and olive paste. You may substitute the cod with sea bass, or any other white fish, but I prefer the cod, as it has the thickness and firmness required to achieve the end results shown in this recipe.
Recipe:
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Serving: 4 persons
Created by: Elissar Kurban
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of Cod Filet ( 2 inch thick)
- 1 cup black olive paste (tapenade)
- 1 cup olive oil
- 4 zucchinis
- 4 squash
- 4 Roma tomato
-½ teaspoon white pepper
- Sea salt & black pepper to taste
- 1 whole lemon plus juice of half a lemon
- ¼ cup herbes de provence
- 3 Bay leaves
- 4 sprigs of Fresh rosemary for garnish
- Splash of dry white wine
Preparation for Cod fish:
Preheat oven to 400F
Cut cod filet in 4 equal pieces, place in oven proof pan on top of fresh bay leaves
Drizzle with splash of white wine
Add ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of white pepper
Cover with olive paste (tapenade)
Drizzle some olive oil and bake for about 25- 30 minutes ( careful not to overcook)
Served with Herbes de Provence Zucchini-Squash Casserole:
Cut zucchini, squash and tomato thinly, try to be consistent with thickness, or use a vegetable slicer for consistency (optional)
Arrange circles in an oven pan per color starting with tomato, zucchini, then squash, repeat until the pan is full.
Sprinkle salt, pepper and herbes de provence
Drizzle olive oil on top
Add chilli flake for extra spiciness if desired ( optional)
Bake in oven for 25- 30 minutes
*Serve immediately, garnish with lemon wedges and fresh rosemary.
Wine Pairing:
Domaine Billaud-Simon, Chablis Premier Cru, “Montée de Tonnerre”-2016
Chablis is located in the valley of the River Serein in the northernmost part of Burgundy, where the only grape permitted is Chardonnay. The subsoil of Chablis vineyards benefit from a specific geological era that goes back 150 million years, known as Kimmeridgian - a geologic formation of decomposed clay and limestone, containing tiny fossilized oyster shells- this unusual soil characteristics give the wines of Chablis a unique character, purity, sophistication and minerality.
Like all other regions of Burgundy, Chablis has a hierarchy classification, based on the quality of the land and soil. There are four levels in the Chablis hierarchy of appellations: Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru. There are only 40 vineyards designated as Premier Cru, around 10% of total production.
Domaine Billaud-Simon was founded in 1815 by Charles Louis Noël Billaud; it is known as one of the top producers in Chablis. Domaine Billaud Simon owns 20 hectares of vineyards in some of the best areas in Chablis. The Chablis wines of Domaine Billaud-Simon exhibit balance and pure Chardonnay fruit. Delicious and fresh when young, but they evolve with a distinctive elegance with age.
Tasting Notes:
This wine has a pale lemon colour with a bright hue of light green, intense aromas of citrus fruits; lemon zest and orange peel, white flowers, red apple, ripe pear, and a hint of pastry cream. The concentrated fruit flavors are elegantly balanced by a bright acidity that concludes with exceptional length.
Enjoy!