Living next to the coast means that I eat a lot of seafood, and while I love a good fish fry, sometimes I want something healthy yet still fulfilling. This is a very simple seared fish, seasoned with nothing but salt and pepper, and served with a hearty sun-dried tomato farro salad and a spoonful of zesty red chimichurri.

Any mild, flaky white fish will work. I typically use redfish (or red drum) that we catch here in the shallow bay waters of the Laguna Madre. Snapper, cobia, catfish, rockfish, and even walleye would also work.

This recipe is pretty evergreen in that it uses a lot of pantry items and can be made any time of the year. I developed the farro “salad” recipe when prepping freezer meals to eat after bringing my baby home from the hospital because grains freeze well. It can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for several days. It’s also delicious eaten cold in an actual salad with lettuce and sliced chicken breast.

Seared Fish with Red Chimichurri and Farro Salad

Recipe by Danielle Prewett

Serves

Ingredients

4 (½ – 1” thick) mild white-fleshed fish filets, such as redfish, snapper, catfish, or rockfish
Coarse sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
Avocado oil for cooking
Sun-Dried Tomato Farro Salad
2 cups farro
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in a jar of olive oil)
1 bunch parsley
4 green onions
1 lemon, juiced
Red Chimichurri
1 roasted red bell pepper* see note
¼ teaspoon red chile flakes
¼ cup parsley leaves
½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ lemon, juiced
6 tablespoons olive oil from sun-dried tomato jar

Directions

Remove the fish from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Lay two fish fillets down into the pan with the outside of the fillet facing down (the side where the skin would have been). Cook undisturbed until the fish is about 75% cooked through. You can check the sides of the fish; if the flesh is opaque about three-quarters of the way, it is ready to go. The fish should have a golden crust and lift freely from the pan. It will take about 3-4 minutes, depending on the size of the fish. Use a fish spatula and gently flip the fish. Cook an additional few minutes until it is cooked all the way through and flakes gently with a fork. Remove and repeat with the remaining two fish fillets.
Serve the fish on top of the farro salad with a spoonful of the red chimichurri on top (see method below).
Sun-Dried Tomato Farro Salad
Heat a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the farro and let it toast for a minute, undisturbed, then give the pan a shake to redistribute the grains. Cook, shaking occasionally, until the farro smells nutty, almost like popcorn. Transfer to a colander and give it a quick rinse to cool off, then drain excess water and return it to the pan. Pour in 8 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Season generously with salt. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until al dente, about 25 minutes. Drain any remaining water and transfer to a large bowl to cool.
Once cooled, stir in the remaining ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper. The farro salad can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Red Chimichurri
Combine all of the ingredients in a small food processor and pulse until you reach a coarse consistency. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It will keep for 3-4 days.

Notes

*Note: You can use a jar of roasted red pepper or roast your own pepper under the broiler until the skin is charred all the way around. Once it’s cool enough to handle, peel the blackened skin and remove the stem and inner seeds.