Fish Stuffed Peppers with Orzo
Submitted by darlenec
Fish stuffed peppers with orzo tuck marinated rockfish inside warm roasted peppers over garlic-tomato orzo with basil. Mediterranean fish dinner with a bright coriander-lemon marinade.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsThis Mediterranean fish dinner flips the usual stuffed-pepper format. Instead of packing the peppers with a rice-and-meat mixture, they are warmed whole and then filled with quick-seared pieces of rockfish (or any firm white fish) that have soaked in a garlic, lemon, coriander, and basil marinade.
An orzo pasta bed underneath carries sweet halved tomatoes, sliced garlic browned in olive oil, and torn basil leaves, all tossed together while warm. The peppers sit on the orzo like open pockets waiting for fish, and everything plates up in one clean arrangement rather than a messy scoop.
The marinade is the real technique. Toasted crushed coriander seed gives the fish an earthy citrus note that lemon juice alone cannot reach. Extra-virgin olive oil drizzled across the finished peppers perfumes the whole plate with fresh greenness. This is a 30-minute meal once the fish is marinated, restaurant-quality without restaurant effort.
Chef Tips
- Marinate the fish at least 1 hour but no more than 2. Longer than that and the acid starts to cook the fish before the heat does.
- Warm the peppers in the low oven while the pasta cooks. Cold peppers over hot orzo throw off the whole temperature balance.
- Cook the fish in a hot dry skillet, not an oiled one. The olive oil clinging from the marinade gives enough fat, and a dry pan delivers better sear.
- Pick firm white fish that holds shape. Rockfish, cod, halibut, or grouper all work. Tilapia flakes apart too easily.
- Use a finishing oil (extra-virgin, fruity) for the final drizzle. Cooking oil on top does nothing; good finishing oil perfumes the whole plate.
Variations
- Swap orzo for couscous, Israeli pearl couscous, or fregola for different grain textures.
- Replace rockfish with shrimp or scallops and adjust cook time to 2 minutes per side.
- Add a handful of chopped kalamata olives and crumbled feta for a stronger Greek direction.
Ingredients
Directions
Rinse the fish, pat dry and cut into pieces to fit comfortably inside each pepper.
Combine minced garlic and salt in a medium bowl and mash to a paste with the back of a spoon.
Add the lemon juice, coriander, pepper and 1 tablespoon olive oil and stir to combine.
Bruise 3 or 4 of the basil leaves and add them to the marinade.
Add the fish pieces, toss gently to coat evenly, and marinate for 1 to 2 hours.
Cook the pasta until just done, drain, and rinse with cold water.
Warm the peppers (loosely covered to prevent drying) and serving plates in a low oven.
Heat 2 skillets over medium-high heat, 1 for the fish (nonstick if possible) and 1 for the sauce.
Remove the fish from its marinade and add it to the dry skillet.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the other skillet, add the sliced garlic and cook until it begins to color.
Immediately add the tomatoes and pasta and toss to coat evenly.
Add the basil leaves, remove from the heat, and season to taste.
Spread the contents evenly on the plates and lay the peppers on top.
As the fish pieces are done, tuck them inside the the peppers.
Drizzle or brush the tops of the peppers with the extra-virgin oil and serve.
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