From Our Members' Kitchen: Pan-Seared Tautog with Rosemary, Tomatoes & Olives

An easy, delicious 20-minute recipe shared by Fish Share member Alyson.

Some of our favorite recipes come straight from our Fish Share members!

Meet Alyson, who has been visiting us at the Union Square Farmers Market in Somerville. After trying our locally caught tautog (also known as blackfish), she loved it so much that she couldn't wait to share one of her favorite ways to prepare it with the rest of our community.

And we're glad she did!

This Mediterranean-inspired recipe combines beautifully pan-seared fish with fresh tomatoes, fragrant rosemary, olives, and good olive oil. It's simple enough for a weeknight dinner but delicious enough to impress your dinner guests.

The best part? It takes just 20 minutes.

While Alyson loves making this dish with tautog, just about any firm white fish will work. That's one of the joys of cooking with our local catch — learning to adapt your favorite recipes to whatever our fishermen are bringing in.

🐟 Pan-Seared Tautog with Rosemary, Tomatoes & Olives

Prep & Cook Time: 20 minutesServings: 2–4Best Fish: Tautog (blackfish), or another firm white fish

Ingredients

• 2 ripe tomatoes

• 1 small, bushy sprig of rosemary, leaves roughly chopped

• ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

• 2–4 firm white fish fillets (6–8 ounces each), pin bones removed

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Pinch of Turkish or Syrian chile pepper (such as Urfa or Aleppo), optional

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• ½ cup pitted, chopped black olives (or a mixture of green and black olives)

• Fresh basil leaves, torn, for garnish (optional)

• Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Alyson's Tip: Don't worry about having the exact olives listed. Alyson often uses a marinated olive medley, whatever happens to be on hand. A couple of tablespoons of capers also make a great substitute.

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the tomato water

Cut the tomatoes in half across their equator.

Place a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and rub each tomato half against the mesh until the pulp and juices pass through. Be sure to include the flavorful liquid surrounding the seeds!

Stir the chopped rosemary and ¼ teaspoon salt into the tomato pulp and juices. Set aside.

Step 2: Pan-sear the fish

Remove the fish from the refrigerator a little before cooking and pat the fillets dry with paper towels. Alyson notes that fish that's slightly less chilled tends to release more easily from the frying pan.

Season the fillets with salt, black pepper, and chile pepper, if using.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and let it warm for about 1 minute.

Place the fish fillets in the skillet and scatter the olives around them.

Cook undisturbed for approximately 5 minutes, then gently flip the fillets and cook for another 3–5 minutes, depending on thickness, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily. For food safety, fish should reach an internal temperature of 145°F.

Step 3: Make the sauce and serve

Transfer the cooked fillets to individual plates or a serving platter.

Pour the prepared tomato juices into the warm olive oil and olives remaining in the skillet.

Whisk gently over the heat until the mixture thickens slightly and emulsifies into a light, flavorful sauce.

Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Spoon the sauce generously over the fish, garnish with torn basil and flaky sea salt, and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

🍅 Bonus from Alyson: Tomato Water for Cocktails

Alyson also shared a fun variation for making a beautifully fragrant tomato water that can be used in cocktails or mocktails.

Line a colander with a thin, clean dish towel and place it over a bowl.

Add approximately 2 pounds of chopped ripe tomatoes, one sprig of chopped rosemary, and ¼ teaspoon salt.

Gently mix and lightly crush the tomatoes with your hands. The less you crush them, the clearer the resulting liquid will be.

Refrigerate for approximately 8 hours, allowing the tomato water to slowly collect in the bowl.

Strain and refrigerate the finished tomato water until ready to use. Save the remaining tomato pulp for a homemade sauce!

❤️ From Our Community to Your Kitchen

A big thank-you to Alyson for sharing this wonderful recipe!

One of the things we love most about our Fish Share community is seeing how people bring our local catch to life in their own kitchens. Every recipe shared helps another member discover a new fish, try a new technique, or find a new family favorite.

Have a favorite way to prepare Chatham Harvesters seafood? We'd love to hear about it! Send us your recipes, photos, and cooking stories. You might just inspire our next member kitchen feature.

Happy cooking!