Mediterranean baked drum with cherry tomatoes and olives

Thick drum fillets hold their shape in the oven, so they can sit in a bed of tomatoes and olives without falling apart. The tomatoes roast first, until they blister and release their juice, then the fish goes in on top.

It is one baking dish and a loaf of crusty bread to catch the pan juices.

About 30 min. Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 4 thick skinless drum fillets (6 to 8 oz each)
• 1½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• ⅓ cup pitted Kalamata or Castelvetrano olives, halved
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ¼ cup dry white wine or seafood stock
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp black pepper, divided
• Fresh basil leaves and lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, toss the tomatoes, olives, shallot, garlic, oregano, 2 tbsp of the oil and half the salt and pepper.
2. Roast the tomato mixture on its own for 8 minutes, until the tomatoes start to blister and give up their juice.
3. Take the dish out, season the fillets with the rest of the salt and pepper and nestle them into the warm tomatoes.
4. Pour the wine around the fish, drizzle the last tablespoon of oil over the tops and return the dish to the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the thick fillets flake cleanly.
5. Tear fresh basil over the top and serve with crusty bread for the pan juices.

Notes

• Cook fish to 145°F in the thickest part, which is the FDA’s temperature for fish. Check with a thermometer.
• Fillets thicker than about an inch may need a few extra minutes. Check the middle of the thickest one.
• Trim the dark red strip along the side of each fillet (the bloodline) if you want the mildest flavor.
• Red and black drum have size and bag limits and need the right tags. Check TPWD’s current rules before you keep fish.
• TPWD lists consumption advisories for some Texas waters. If you caught the fish, check the advisories for that water before you cook it.

Sources: FDA: Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely (content current as of Mar. 5, 2024), TPWD: Fish Consumption Bans and Advisories.

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