Fish Filet Portuguese Style (full) Recipe

Prep and marinate

Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels. In a shallow dish combine 2 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp lemon juice, minced garlic, piri-piri (or red chili flakes), smoked paprika, 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Rub the marinade over both sides of the fillets, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes (up to 1 hour).

Sear (optional)

Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. When hot, place fillets skin-side down (if skin-on) and sear 1–2 minutes to color the exterior—this helps them hold shape. Transfer fillets to a plate; they will finish cooking in the sauce.

Sweat aromatics

In a deep skillet or sauté pan, warm 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onion and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the sliced red bell pepper and cook another 4 minutes until softened.

Add garlic and spices

Add the 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in sweet paprika and smoked paprika remnants from the marinade if any, then pour in the white wine (if using) and let it reduce for 1–2 minutes.

Simmer the tomatoes

Add the chopped or canned tomatoes (400 g) and the bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, season with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1 tsp sugar if tomatoes are too acidic. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10–12 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.

Nest the fish

Make shallow wells in the sauce and place the marinated (and optionally seared) fish fillets on top. Spoon some sauce over the fillets. Cover the pan and simmer gently for 6–10 minutes depending on thickness (6–8 minutes for 2 cm / 3/4 in fillets, up to 10 minutes for thicker pieces) until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Avoid overcooking.

Add olives and herbs

During the last 2 minutes of cooking, scatter the halved green olives into the sauce to warm through. Remove the pan from heat, drizzle 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil over the fish and sprinkle chopped parsley and optional cilantro on top. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Rest and serve

Let the dish rest for 2–3 minutes. Serve the fish fillets with plenty of the tomato-onion sauce, lemon wedges on the side and boiled potatoes, rice or crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

If serving with new potatoes: boil potatoes in salted water until tender (15–20 minutes depending on size), drain and toss with a little butter or olive oil and chopped parsley. If serving with rice: cook 300 g rice according to package instructions to yield approximately 600 g cooked.