Mike Bittman literally made this dish with one hand tied behind his back. I’m not kidding – watch the video. The producers held him to it after he claimed it was that easy. And it is. The fish also makes a nice presentation. (Note: If you're looking for an even easier meal, use store-bought presto instead of grinding your own.) Oh, it's also a one pan wonder. Just saute asparagus (or another vegetable) in the pan with the fish. Finish with a crisp glass of white wine and you're ready to enjoy a meal that appears to have taken much more of your energy than it really did. I won't tell.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Fish
Recipe courtesy Mark Bittman, NY Times
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil, more or less
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 4- to 6-ounce thick fillets of halibut, cod or other white-fleshed fish
2 or 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
2 tablespoons butter, or more oil.
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a small food processor, combine herbs with pine nuts, enough olive oil to make a thick paste, and salt and pepper. (Alternatively, chop everything fine and combine in a bowl.)
2. Season fillets with salt and pepper. Lay two slices of prosciutto on a board, slightly overlapping like fish scales. Smear prosciutto with a layer of herb mixture, then lay fish in center and wrap it up.
3. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes; add butter. When foam subsides, cook fish for a minute on each side, then roast until tender, 5 to 10 minutes depending on thickness. Fillets are done when a thin-bladed knife will pass through their thickest point with little resistance. Serve.
Yield: 4 servings.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Fish
