Cod Loin Braised with Tomatoes and Olives

Serves 2.

Time requirement: about 25 minutes start to finish.

What you will need:

12 ounces of cod fish loin cut into 3-4 pieces.

¼ cup chopped onion.

1 tomato to yield ½ cup chopped fresh tomato.

A dozen mixed pitted black and green olives cut in half.

The leaves from 3 thyme sprigs.

1 tablespoon chopped pimento (can be from a jar).

1 square inch of orange zest finely chopped.

¼ cup white wine.

2 tablespoons olive oil.

¼ cup all-purpose flour.

A handful of fresh arugula.

2 warm serving plates.

Preparation:

Rinse the cod loin. Cut it into four thick pieces. Prepare the onion. Cut up the tomato and process in a food processor until you have a chucky fresh tomato sauce; measure out ½ cup reserve the rest of another use.

Get all the other ingredients measured and ready.

Place the olive oil in a 10-inch sauté pan and set over a medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the onion and cook for 2 minutes to soften the onion; stirring frequently to assure the onion does not brown. In the meantime, place the flour on a plate and lightly dust the fish with flour. Push the onions to the side and add the fish to the pan. Cook the fish 2 minutes and then gentle turn over to cook 2 minutes on the second side.

Scatter around the fish the olives, thyme, pimento, orange zest, and fresh tomatoes. Add the wine. Stir the ingredients without disturbing the fish. Cover the pan and cook over a medium low heat until the fish is done. Cod is done at 130 degrees F. At that time divide the fish between two warm serving plates. If the sauce has not thickened while the fish cooked, raise the temperature under the pan and thicken the sauce. Spoon the sauce around each serving of fish and garnish with fresh arugula.