“Good for you” doesn’t have to mean “bland.” Crystal is a sucker for lots of flavor, and this dish is an extravaganza for her palate! It’s light, fresh, and oh-so-flavorful. While the fish and roasted vegetables have a wonderful taste all on their own, Crystal adores the tangy caper sauce that makes this dish sing! Capers—small green pockets of salty goodness—are actually the unopened flower buds of a Mediterranean bush, Capparis spinosa. Once harvested, they are dried in the sun and then pickled in either a vinegar brine or packed in salt. There is a rather large variety of capers, varying in size and origin. Feel free to experiment to find the ones you like best, but we typically prefer the smaller nonpareille size that hails from southern France. If you are trying to watch the amount of salt in your diet, rinse the capers and pat dry with a towel before adding them to the sauce.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 servings

　　2 pounds red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices (about 6 cups)

　　4 cups thinly sliced fennel (about 2 small bulbs)

　　1 tablespoon olive oil

　　3/4 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1 teaspoon fennel seeds

　　3 garlic cloves, minced

　　1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped

　　3/4 cup dry white wine

　　6 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

　　2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

　　3 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

　　6 (6-ounce each) sea bass fillets, or other firm white fish fillets

　　Tangy Caper Sauce (recipe follows)

　　

Tangy Caper Sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

　　2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

　　2 garlic cloves, minced

　　3 tablespoons capers, drained

　　Dash of freshly ground black pepper

　　(makes 1/4 cup sauce)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

　　

Step 2

Combine the potatoes, fennel, 2 teaspoons of the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper in a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish; toss gently to coat. Bake the vegetables for 30 minutes or until they can easily be pierced with a fork.

　　

Step 3

Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil in a medium skillet. Add the fennel seeds and garlic, and sauté for 1 minute. Add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper, the tomatoes, wine, 4 tablespoons of the parsley, 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest, and the oregano to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 8 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Sprinkle the fish fillets with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Arrange the fillets over the potato mixture in the casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of lemon zest and spread the tomato mixture over the fish. Bake at 450°F for 20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Spoon the caper sauce over the fish before serving.

　　

Tangy Caper Sauce

Step 5

Put the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, lemon zest, garlic, capers, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.

　　From The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook & Sandy Pollock. Copyright © 2011 by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock; Food photographs copyright © 2011 by Ben Fink. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers.Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, the Casserole Queens, have been delivering casseroles in Austin, Texas, since 2006; they also teach cooking classes at Whole Foods stores in the area. They have been featured on Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay and Bobby Flay Radio on Sirius XM, as well as on television news and radio talk shows.