Quick food shoot today I thought I’d share on the blog. I found this recipe online that just looked divine, so I styled this dish specifically to be photographed … but I’ll be cooking this plate of deliciousness up for dinner tonight, too.

Recipe

Source: Fine Cooking 93, p. 86a

  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 2 Tbs. capers, rinsed and chopped
  • 1-1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano
  • 1-1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-1/2 lb. thick skinless halibut fillet (or other mild white fish, like cod), cut into 4 even pieces
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.

In a medium bowl, mix the tomatoes, capers, oregano, vinegar, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

Season the fish with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and dredge it in the flour, shaking off the excess. Heat the oil in a 12-inch (preferably nonstick) ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the fish, evenly spaced, and cook without touching until it browns and releases easily from the pan (check by gently lifting one of the corners), about 3 minutes. Flip the fish, sprinkle the garlic around it, and cook until the garlic just starts to brown on some edges, about 30 seconds. Pour the tomato mixture around the fish and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until the fish is just firm to the touch and opaque when you pry open a thicker piece with a paring knife, 3 to 6 minutes.

Let the fish rest for a couple of minutes and then serve with the tomato mixture spooned over it.

Quick food shoot today I thought I’d share on the blog. I found this recipe online that just looked divine, so I styled this dish specifically to be photographed … but I’ll be cooking this plate of deliciousness up for dinner tonight, too.

Recipe

Source: Fine Cooking 93, p. 86a

  • 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 2 Tbs. capers, rinsed and chopped
  • 1-1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano
  • 1-1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-1/2 lb. thick skinless halibut fillet (or other mild white fish, like cod), cut into 4 even pieces
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.

In a medium bowl, mix the tomatoes, capers, oregano, vinegar, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

Season the fish with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and dredge it in the flour, shaking off the excess. Heat the oil in a 12-inch (preferably nonstick) ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the fish, evenly spaced, and cook without touching until it browns and releases easily from the pan (check by gently lifting one of the corners), about 3 minutes. Flip the fish, sprinkle the garlic around it, and cook until the garlic just starts to brown on some edges, about 30 seconds. Pour the tomato mixture around the fish and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until the fish is just firm to the touch and opaque when you pry open a thicker piece with a paring knife, 3 to 6 minutes.

Let the fish rest for a couple of minutes and then serve with the tomato mixture spooned over it.

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Nicole is a photographer, published author, and educator specializing in Lightroom, Photoshop, and photography. She is best known for her books on food photography but is widely versed in various photographic genres, including landscape, nature, stock, travel, and experimental imagery.

11 Comments

  1. Glen January 13, 2011 at 5:33 pm - Reply

    Looks delicious.

  2. merlyn9 January 13, 2011 at 5:45 pm - Reply

    This Looks SO Very Good!
    You should share the recipe!!! ♥

  3. Ray January 13, 2011 at 5:57 pm - Reply

    Hi Nicole.. I’m a big fan of your work, but I have question on this shoot… You said, you styled this dish specially to be photographed… You make seperate dishes to shoot & eat?

    Thanks,

  4. Nicole January 13, 2011 at 6:10 pm - Reply

    @Ray – Oftentimes when I photograph food it’s handled a lot and sitting out too long to eat. Also, with many meats (including this fish) I only usually cook it long enough until it looks “good”.

  5. Garen January 13, 2011 at 6:16 pm - Reply

    beautiful as always Nicole, but personally I need to remember to not open your current blog post when I am starving and theres not much for dinner!! Your killing me! ;-)

  6. John Garghan January 13, 2011 at 6:17 pm - Reply

    you make it look delicious would love the recipe

  7. Ray January 13, 2011 at 6:53 pm - Reply

    Thank you Nicole for your quick reply…

  8. Mike January 13, 2011 at 7:02 pm - Reply

    Very nice! Thanks for the recipe, too. Do you also have a “recipe” for your lighting setup? Would love to see a shot of that! Nice work, looks delicious. Guess that’s the goal of well-done food photography. Score!

  9. Nicole January 13, 2011 at 10:04 pm - Reply

    @Mike – I took a quick shot of the setup, I’ll post it up on the blog tomorrow. :)

  10. Nathan January 14, 2011 at 6:04 pm - Reply

    Great shot! I seem to be craving fish for some reason. Unfortunately the only kind of fish we have ends win the word ‘stick’. Thanks for sharing!

  11. Tim January 16, 2011 at 11:38 am - Reply

    Hey Nicole when you say you styled the food for the shoot how did you learn to do it?

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