I thought I’d use the word “naked” to get your attention 
Actually, by naked I mean really simple fish with nothing but salt and pepper to season it. It sits atop a foundation of beautiful vegetables of your choice and as the whole dish roasts, some of the natural sugars caramelize and combine to meld all the flavors together. You serve it with fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic brown butter, which adds richness and acidity to the dish.
For fish, I try to choose a sustainable variety such as sablefish (black cod), halibut, or Alaskan salmon (sustainable on the West Coast anyways – you can get a Seafood WATCH list for your region here). For the vegetables, I try to keep it seasonal and often select for color.
Oven Roasted Naked Fish and Vegetables with Balsamic Brown Butter
Time: 20 minutes prep, plus 25 minutes cook time
Servings: 2-3 servings
2-3 fillets of fish such as sablefish, halibut, or salmon (4-5 oz each)
salt and pepper to taste
2 medium zucchinis about 5-6 inches long, sliced 1/3-in. lengthwise
1/2 lb potatoes (I like purple ones for color), sliced 1/4-in. rounds
1 c. cherry tomatoes
1/2 medium onion, roughly sliced lengthwise
1 lb. sliced mushrooms, whichever you like, pan-seared
Drizzle of olive oil
3 TBSP unsalted butter
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
fresh basil leaves
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Season the fish with salt and pepper and set aside. Usually, I take a pinch of salt and sprinkle over one side of the fillet. Repeat on the other side.
In a oven-proof baking dish, lay zucchini on bottom and add potatoes, tomatoes, and onions over it. Take a pinch of salt and sprinkle liberally over veggies. Drizzle olive over it and roast for 10 minutes or so.
While this is roasting, you can pan-sear the mushrooms and set aside.
After 10 minutes or so, check on roasted veggies. It should be starting to caramelize by this time. Add the pan-seared mushrooms to the baking dish. Lay the fish fillets on top and roast for another 10-15 minutes depending on size of fish.
Meanwhile, in a small stainless steel sauce pan, heat the butter over medium heat until the milk solids begin to turn brown and a nutty aroma emerges (hence the term noisette, which means hazelnut, in brown butter’s french translation beurre noisette). You want it a toasty brown, but not too brown. It will continue cooking for a minute off the heat, so remove it as soon as it starts to turn color. Cover top of the sauce pan with a paper towel and, holding up a corner, add the balsamic vinegar. When it stops sizzling, you can remove the paper towel and stir around the final balsamic brown butter together.
Remove the oven roasted fish and vegetables. Let rest a few minutes and serve with a tablespoon of balsamic brown butter drizzled over the fish and vegetables and torn fresh basil leaves for garnish.
