Pan Roasted Cod with Picholine Olive Tapenade & Tomato Confit

Makes 4 Servings

For Tomato Confit:
6 Roma tomatoes
1 Cup Olive oil
5 Thyme sprigs
5 Garlic cloves
Salt & pepper to taste

For Tapenade:
2 cups Picholine olives, pitted and finely chopped
2 Shallots, finely chopped
Pepper to taste
Reserved blended tomato and garlic from Tomato Confit

For Cod:
¼ cup Olive oil
4 6-8 oz. cod loins
Flour for dusting
Lemon zest for garnish
Salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Quarter tomatoes and place in a 10-inch pie pan; add all ingredients. Bake 30 minutes. Let sit and cool for 15 minutes, then blend the garlic, ½ the oil and 1 Roma tomato and set aside.
2. Mix all tapenade ingredients together and season with pepper.
3. Heat Sauté pan over high heat and add ¼ cup olive oil while oil is heating. Pat the fish dry and season with salt, then dust in flour. Cook cod until golden brown on all sides then set on paper towel to drain.
4. To assemble, reheat the tomatoes in oven for 5 minutes, and slightly warm tapenade. Plate as desired and top fish with tapenade and garnish with lemon zest.

For our February opening after vacation, Chef Bill served this with herbed Israeli Cous Cous and Braised Fennel on the side. It’s a nice transition meal between winter and spring.