One-Step Fish

I work Wednesdays, which means that I wake up at 5:30 and leave the house by 6:00.  Tuesday dinner has to be quick and easy so I can get to bed early.  I try to make fish and serve it with vegetables (cooked or raw) several times a week, and the following is a preparation that works well with most fleshy fish.  I vary it using different herbs and spices, but basically follow the same principle.  

Salting the fish and letting it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes tends to bring the "ocean" back to the fish.  One way is to oversalt it and let it rest, then completely rinse it before continuing with the recipe.  I like to do this in one step, as follows.

6 oz fish per person (Chilean sea bass, kampachi, salmon and snapper are all good candidates)

1 juicy lemon

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Lay the filets skin-side down on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice on each filet, sprinkle with a generous pinch (about 1 teaspoon) of coarse sea salt (less if you're using fine salt), ground pepper and small pinch of red pepper flakes.  Allow to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes (usually the time it takes for the oven to get hot).  Bake the fish for 30 - 45 minutes, depending on how thick the filets are.

*In addition to or in lieu of red pepper flakes, try experimenting with sumac, tarragon, saffron, varieties of thyme, and whatever looks interesting to you at the market.  You may also squeeze blood oranges, lime or grapefruit instead of lemons over the filets.