Baked Mackerel With A Simple Mediterranean Tomato Sauce

How to re-create this recipe: 

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 2 Spanish Mackerel Fillets
• 1/2 a Fennel Bulb
• 8 Pitted Green Olives (preferably Castelvetrano Olives)
• 2 Kumato Tomatoes
• 1 Tsp of Capers
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 1/8 tsp of Saffron
• Good quality Olive Oil
• Salt and black pepper
• Parsley Leaves to garnish

Putting it together:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a small baking pan with parchment paper. I used my toaster oven to bake this fish.
2. Place your fish on the baking pan, sprinkle salt and black pepper on them and bake for 15 minutes.
3. While your fish is baking you can prep the other ingredients and make your simple sauce. This sauce is incredibly flavorful and delicious and takes no more then 10 minutes to make (believe it or not!). Shave 1/2 your fennel bulb on a mandolin, dice your tomatoes into medium chunks, slice your olives and slice your garlic as thinly as possible or mince it.
4. Put about 1 Tbsp of Olive oil and your garlic in a medium size pan and let the garlic cook in the oil for about 2 minutes. Add your tomatoes and let them cook for about 3 minutes or so until they have softened in the pan. Add your shaved fennel, olives, capers, saffron, salt and black pepper to taste. Cook that for about 5 minutes or so until all the flavors are nicely combined and the fennel has softened as well.
5. When your fish is done and plated, add this sauce on top of your fish, garnish with Parsley and enjoy

Nourishment for your body: Mackerel fish is packed with tons of protein. Of all the fish varieties it tends to have some of the highest levels of  Omega 3 fatty acids and is high in vitamin B-12, Selenium, Niacin, and phosphorus. Mackerel  is usually available year round and is good for the environment because it is considered a sustainable species (meaning that it is not over-fished and reproduces quickly).

Tips when cooking: If you do not prefer Mackerel, this sauce will taste great on any other fish. You can pair this dish with any of the following sides; roasted potatoes, a medley of sautéed vegetables, a salad, or cous cous.  A Mandoline is a good cooking utensil to invest in. It is used to slice vegetables. They range in price and are a nice tool to have in your kitchen because your vegetables come out looking uniform in shape and size and makes prepping them faster.