Steamed White Fish with Rice, Black Olive Tapenade, Basil and Tomatoes

Any meal that can be cooked in one pan is a winner for me because, honestly, who likes washing up? But aside from the practicality, there's something wonderful about all the flavours in a recipe all mixing together in one pan and then presenting that pan to the table for everyone to dig into. The recipe below is to serve two people but it is easily doubled or even tripled to create a fantastic family dish.

The flavours here are simple, indeed there are only a handful of ingredients, and the taste is certainly Mediterranean with salty black olives, fresh, ripe tomatoes and fragrant basil as well as rich olive oil and tangy red wine vinegar. Perfectly balanced and quick to make, this is the ideal midweek meal.

Steamed White Fish with Rice, Black Olive Tapenade, Basil and Tomatoes
Serves 2

150g basmati rice 
2 heaped teaspoons black olive tapenade 
200g ripe cherry tomatoes 
½ a bunch of fresh basil, (10g) 
½ tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp red wine vinegar
2 white fish fillets, such as haddock, skin off, pin-boned, from sustainable sources

In a large shallow casserole pan on a high heat, mix the rice with the tapenade, then pour over 300ml of water. Put the lid on and let it come to the boil while you halve the tomatoes and, in a bowl, mix them with the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Taste, season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, and tear in the basil leaves. 

Place the fish in the pan, pushing the fillets into the rice. Scatter over the dressed tomatoes. Put the lid back on and boil for 10 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through, then remove the lid and cook for a further 5 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated. Serve in shallow bowls with a good glass of wine.

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