[RECIPE] Baked Fish with Mushroom Caponata

Elevate your weeknight dinner with this incredible Baked Fish with Mushroom Caponata recipe!

This dish is a vibrant celebration of Mediterranean flavours, combining tender, flaky white fish with a rich and savoury caponata that’s bursting with earthy mushrooms, briny olives, and tangy capers. It’s surprisingly simple to make, yet impressive enough for any occasion.

Ingredients 

• 2 onions, diced
• 2 green peppers, chopped 
• 500g white button mushrooms, sliced
• 100g black kalamata olives, pitted & sliced in half
• 50g capers
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil
• 700g white fish, filleted & deboned
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 350g baby potatoes, to serve 
• Fresh dill, for serving 

Button mushrooms are low in calories and sodium, and are a good source of essential nutrients like selenium, potassium, and B vitamins. Furthermore, button mushrooms contain antioxidants and can contribute to immune system support and potentially reduce the risk of certain diseases. 

Method

1.  Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a nonstick frying pan and sauté the onion until tender. Add the green pepper and mushrooms and simmer over medium-high heat for a few minutes until all the water is cooked out of the mushrooms. 
2.  Add the tomato paste and oregano and cook for 2 minutes. Add the water and vinegar and simmer. Finally add the olives and capers and taste for seasoning. Simmer for a few minutes to blend flavours. 
3.  Preheat oven to 220˚C, move rack to the top third of the oven and line a baking tray with baking paper. 
4.  Brush the baking paper with olive oil and place the fish on top.
5. Season the fish well with salt, pepper and oregano. Drizzle the top with olive oil and spread the garlic evenly over the fillets. Bake for 5-8 minutes depending on fillet sizes. 
6. Serve the baked fish topped with a generous amount of mushroom caponata, fresh dill and some steamed baby potatoes.

Image and recipe provided by the South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association