Sebzeli Balık: One-Pot Fish with Vegetables in a Lemon Sauce
Simple yet brimming with flavour, this recipe for tuna steaks and potatoes in a zingy lemon sauce makes a vibrant dinner inspired by Turkish cuisine.
Introduction
This is a delicious and easy one-pot meal that in İstanbul is usually made with palamut (bonito). Palamut was my father’s favourite fish, and it is known as the king fish of the Bosphorus. When in season, it graced our tables frequently, cooked with vegetables. Sadly, it’s not easy to find abroad, so I use fresh tuna steaks instead, as they are closely related; kılıç balığı (swordfish) or other firm-fleshed fish can be good options too. I like to add potatoes to the pot, along with peppers and onions; they soak up the lemony sauce and make this a wholesome meal. Olives are my addition here. They add texture, tang and flavour. For a more substantial meal, serve Köz Mısır (page 119 of Istanbul) as a side.
Ingredients
| 280g (10 oz) | baby potatoes, halved |
| 6 tbsp | olive oil |
| 2 | tuna steaks (about 2 cm/¾ in thick) |
| 1 | medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced |
| 130g (4¾ oz) | red Romano peppers, stalks and seeds removed, cut into pieces 7 x 3 cm (2¾ x 1¼ in) |
| 60g (2 oz) | sivri biber, stalks and seeds removed, cut into pieces 7 x 3 cm (2¾ x 1¼ in) or padron peppers, kept whole |
| 45g (1½ oz) | pitted green olives, coarsely chopped |
| salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste | |
| 1 tsp | finely chopped parsley lemon wedges, to serve (optional) |
| For the sauce | |
|---|---|
| 2 tbsp | fresh lemon juice |
| 140ml (5 fl oz) | water |
| 2 tsp | olive oil |
Method
Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with plenty of water, add a pinch of salt, partially cover, place on a medium heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 17–18 minutes; the potatoes should be almost cooked but still firm. Drain and set aside on a plate to cool. When cool enough to handle, cut into 5 mm (¼ in) slices, then set aside.
For the sauce, combine the lemon juice, water and olive oil in a small bowl, season with salt and black pepper, then set aside.
Pour 3 tablespoons of the olive oil into a large, wide pan (one that is 26cm/10 in in diameter with a depth of 6 cm/2¼ in works well) and place over a medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and peppers and sauté for 5 minutes. Pour in another 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then gently stir in the potato slices, season with salt and black pepper and sauté for a further 2 minutes. Scatter over the chopped olives and combine well.
Lay the tuna steaks on a plate, drizzle over the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and increase the heat to high. Place the tuna steaks, along with any remaining oil from the plate, in the centre of the pan side by side and fry for 1½–2 minutes, then turn them over and fry for a further minute. Reduce the heat to low-medium, pour the sauce over the fish and vegetables and heat through for 45 seconds or so. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed, sprinkle the parsley over then serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side, if you wish.
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