Having grown up in the Great Lake State and now living on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, I have a love for fresh fish. As in, the fish had been swimming earlier that day. Since the fish is so fresh, our family usually keeps our recipes very simple – often just salt, pepper and paprika. But sometimes it’s good to jazz it up a bit!

Ingredients

• 4 Red Snapper Filets, skin off
• 2 Cans Artichoke Hearts, chopped
• 1 Bag Baby Spinach
• 8 Plum Tomatoes, chopped
• 4 Green Onions, chopped
• Half Red Onion, chopped
• 1 Can Red Clam Sauce
• 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup Dry White Wine
• Handful Kalamata Olives, chopped
• Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper
• Shredded Parmesan Cheese, optional

The flavor of the sauce gets better over time, so I usually make the sauce a day ahead and just reheat it on the stovetop when I’m cooking the fish. 

Chop the red onion, green onion, tomatoes, artichokes, garlic, and olives. Set all to the side.

In a large skillet, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add the red and green onions, sautéing for about 10 minutes. You want them to get soft and translucent, but be sure not to caramelize them.

Next, add the Red Clam Sauce. I know some people might not be crazy but clams, but this sauce is key. It adds so much flavor to the dish. If you decide not to use clam sauce, to enhance the flavor of the sauce, I suggest adding tomato paste, a can of crushed tomatoes (cut back on the fresh tomatoes), chopped fresh basil, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Add the chopped artichokes, tomatoes, white wine, garlic, salt & pepper and let the sauce simmer on a low-medium heat for 15 minutes.

While it might seem like a lot, add the whole bag of baby spinach. The leaves will wilt down substantially. The olives can also be added at this point. Stir all the ingredients together, turn the heat to low and allow to sit on the heat for around another 10 minutes.  All of the steps to this point can be done a day in advance. Make sure you let the sauce cool down before putting it in the refrigerator. Note, you could also add the spinach the next day when you reheat the sauce. If you’re reheating the sauce, pull the sauce out of the refrigerate to let it loose the chill a bit before putting it on the stove. You will want to heat the sauce up slowly over a low/low-medium heat, stirring often. Add salt and pepper as needed. Start the sauce about 15 minutes before you start cooking the fish.

For the fish, I choose the popular  local Florida catch, Red Snapper, which is a firm white fish with a sweet, nutty flavor. If you don’t have red snapper available, any white fish will work for this recipe. The key is just fresh fish!

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, adding a a couple swirls of olive oil into the pan. When the oil is hot, add the fish filets. If needed, you can add a couple at a time – Just keep the cooked fish on a plate with tin foil over it to keep it warm. Cook the filets for about 4 minutes on each side. You will want the sides to brown, and ensure the fish is cooked all the way through – you will have to judge the timing based on the thickness of your fish. Serve the fish hot with the sauce on top. Garnish with shredded parmesan.