1large leekthinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
1red bell pepperthinly sliced
3tablespoonsolive oil
6clovesgarlicthinly sliced
2teaspoonscumin seedslightly crushed
2teaspoonstomato paste
½cupwhite wine
1poundpeeled and chopped canned Italian plums tomatoes
2tablespoonsthyme leavesplus extra for garnish
2stripsshaved lemon peel
4filetsrock fish
⅔cupfeta, torn into chunks
red pepper flakes to taste
1 ½teaspoonslemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
flat leaf parsley for garnish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a large oven-safe skillet, sauté the onion, leek and bell pepper in the olive oil on a medium heat for about 10 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for another minute. Stir in the tomato paste and then add the white wine. Allow this to bubble away for a couple of minutes. Mix in the tomatoes, half of the thyme, the lemon peel, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper and stir well. Simmer gently until the sauce thickens, 15-20 minutes, adding a little extra water if it goes much thicker than your typical pasta sauce. Taste and add salt and pepper accordingly. Remove from the heat and discard the lemon peel.
Season the rock fish pieces with salt and pepper and nestle them into the tomato sauce. Press the feta pieces around the fish so that they are also semi submerged in the sauce. Finish with the remaining tablespoon of thyme leaves. Place on the top rack of the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes, until the seafood is just cooked, the sauce bubbles nicely and the cheese turns golden.
Drizzle with lemon juice before serving and parsley or basil to garnish
Notes
Bulk out your meal by serving with quinoa or brown rice.