Whole fish in crazy water

Recipes / Fish

This take on the traditional Italian recipe, pesce allacqua pazza, is a wonderful way of cooking a whole fish for two people. It cooks very gently on the bone, flavoured with tomatoes, olives and a little red chilli to make the water crazy. Serve with tiny boiled potatoes or oven-roasted chips.

Recipe «Whole fish in crazy water» presented in category Recipes / Fish, to prepare this dish you will need no more 25 minutes. To make this dish at home by prescription from the author Gomer would need: 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, 250g cherry tomatoes, halved, 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes, plus extra to serve, 1 x 800g whole white fish , cleaned, scaled , 2 cups light fish stock or water, 2 tbsp small black olives, 1 tbsp salted capers, rinsed , 2 tbsp basil leaves, 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves, 1 lemon, quartered, to serve.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil 
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 
  • 250g cherry tomatoes, halved 
  • 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes, plus extra to serve 
  • 1 x 800g whole white fish , cleaned, scaled 
  • 2 cups light fish stock or water 
  • 2 tbsp small black olives 
  • 1 tbsp salted capers, rinsed 
  • 2 tbsp basil leaves 
  • 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves 
  • 1 lemon, quartered, to serve 

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large deep frypan or wok, depending on the size of your fish.
  2. Add garlic, tomatoes and chilli and cook on medium-high heat for 1 minute, tossing to coat in the oil.
  3. Add the fish and cook gently for a further minute, then turn carefully and add stock or water to cover. Simmer gently for 15 minutes or until the flesh parts from the bone at the touch of a knife.
  4. Carefully remove the fish to a warm platter and cover to keep warm. Scoop out the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and set aside. Bring liquid to the boil and boil for 5 minutes.
  5. Return the tomatoes to the pan with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, olives, capers and herbs, and heat through.
  6. Serve the fish topped with the tomato mixture and extra chilli, with lemon wedges to squeeze.