Mediterranean

Another great recipe recommendation. I am a little embarrassed because I don't remember which blog I found this one on. Lately, I have subscribed to an aggregator blog called Foodgawker. It's a blog of food photos - if you click through you get taken to the blog on which the original photo and recipe was published. For those among us who are inspired by visuals rather than words (yes, me...at least when it comes to food....), this is the place to peruse.

And some days back (yes...i think just days), I came across a fish recipe where I thought - "yup, gotta try that one." The original name of the recipe was: Pan-Roasted Sea Bass and Couscous with Clementines, Olives, Dates and Chickpeas. But....I made a bunch of changes to the original recipe. (And the original was already an adaptation from a Gourmet magazine recipe.)

What is really nice about this one is that it is relatively fast. You could theoretically have this one on the table in about 40 minutes from start to finish. Interested? Ask, and I will make the effort to type up my version of the recipe.

Some modifications from me included: halibut instead of sea bass (but halibut was extremely mild and sea bass might have been even better), thyme in addition to mint, far less butter than called for, bulgar wheat instead of couscous and a fennel and preserved lemon salad on the side.

The local fans were impressed with the flavor and went back for third helpings.

So...you are looking at: pan-fried halibut on a bed of bulgar wheat and chickpeas flavored with clementines, dates and olives with a drizzle of an orange juice and thyme reduction, and a salad of fennel, olive oil and homemade preserved meyer lemons.

9 out of 10 points if I do say so myself. Nice, subtle mild perfumey flavors and a rich buttery undertone from the fish and dates.