Cook from day 4 to 5
It’s that briny ZING from olives that brings out tomato sweetness in a whole new way for this sauce.
For fish, we use poaching technique: gently submerging it in a flavourful sauce so it can slowly absorb all the aromas.
P—40, F—18, C—54
- Olive oil
- Frying pan
- Pot for cooking ptitim pasta
- Kitchen scissors are an easy, handy way to slice olives.
- Start cooking ptitim
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan and blend in ptitim spice blend for half a minute, stirring.
Add ptitim, stir well, then immediately pour in 250 ml water. Cover with a lid and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
Taste for doneness, we recommend it al dente.
2. Prep ingredients
Peel onion and slice into thin half-moons. Roughly chop olives and parsley, cut bell pepper into thin strips.
Pat fish dry with paper towel, season with salt and pepper.
3. Start cooking sauce
Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring from time to time, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add smoked paprika, stir well, and cook for another minute.
Increase heat, add strained tomatoes, and cook couple of minutes, breaking tomatoes up into small pieces with spatula as they cook. Let the sauce boil for a bit, then reduce heat to medium-low.
4. Start cooking fish
Nestle fish into sauce, cover with a lid, and cook for 8–10 minutes, until flesh turns opaque and just firm.
5. Finish
Once fish is cooked, divide ptitim between plates and place fish on top.
Return pan with sauce to medium-high heat and cook for another 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, to let excess liquid evaporate and reduce sauce.
Off heat and stir in olives, lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and black pepper.
Mix well and taste for seasoning.
If sauce tastes too acidic to you, add 1 teaspoon sugar, honey or any syrup.
6. Serve
Spoon sauce over fish and ptitim, then finish with chopped parsley.