Sometimes I just crave bell peppers, especially as summer fades into fall, which is their season. These vibrant, fruity capsicums make me think of Middle Eastern cuisine or that of Moorish Spain. Fresh bell peppers are a treat, but I’m thankful for the convenience of frozen sliced bell peppers from the grocery store. Meant for homemade fajitas, these mixed peppers turn soft and jammy in the skillet, which gave me the idea for a pepper sauce.
I always keep a jar of harissa sauce in the fridge (for stirring into pasta sauce, serving with lamb meatballs, or garnishing scrambled eggs). Harissa is a rich, spicy, tangy chili paste from North Africa. I use (Mild) Mina Harissa Sauce from Whole Foods (the regular one can be very, very hot!). Mina Harissa Sauce is made with crushed chillies, garlic and olive oil. It adds a savory, fruity, chili depth to sauces along with glossiness from the oil.
In my recipe for Tilapia with Peppers and Harissa, I make a quick pan sauce with the peppers and chili paste, then spoon it over the fish before wrapping it up in a parchment bag and tossing it in the oven. This robust chili-pepper sauce is a delicious accompaniment to bland white fish, infusing it with rich flavor and moisture. I like to serve the fish and pepper sauce over fluffy couscous with vibrant green beans.
Cooking fish in a parchment bag is one of my favorite techniques. It’s quick (10 minutes), easy, and the fish always comes out perfectly cooked and delicious. If you prep all the ingredients and allow them to cool completely, you can compose your parchment fish parcels ahead of time (say, 8 hours) and just pop them in the oven whenever you’re ready.
Tilapia with Peppers and Harissa Sauce
serves 2
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 bag frozen mixed bell peppers
- 2 tablespoons harissa sauce
- 2 tilapia fillets
Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove tilapia from fridge and set aside.
Heat a large skillet to medium-high. Add frozen peppers and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 4 minutes. Stir in harissa sauce and simmer for 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
While the sauce is cooling, prepare the parchment bags. Cut a 20×15-inch/50x38cm piece and fold it in half. Cut out a heart shape, as if you are making a valentine. I usually just eyeball this, cutting the heart out of a large square of parchment, keeping in mind that I will need enough room for the fish to sit on one side of the heart.
Place the fish on one half of the heart and spoon the pepper mixture over it. Fold over the other side of the paper and seal the parchment bag with overlapping folds, as if you are folding a pie crust. At the bottom of the heart you can twist the pointy end to ensure it stays closed.
Cook the fish on a baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Fully cooked fish flakes easily with a fork. I find it’s reliably piping hot and cooked through when I carefully open the bag. Serve over couscous with green beans.