Tomato and caper pasta with whiting fillets

Recipe by: Merry Fletcher

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 8-12 cherry tomatoes
• 2 cups passata
• 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 red onion. chopped
• 1 tbsp salted capers, soaked and finely chopped
• 1 lemon
• 8 whiting fillets
• Olive oil
• Vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pasta of your liking, spaghetti is used in image

METHOD

For the sauce:

1. Begin frying off the garlic and onions on low heat with a dash of olive oil, until soft and fragrant
2. Add chopped cherry tomatoes and cook until softened and about half of the liquid evaporates
3. Add passata and cook until thickened to the desired consistency
4. Mix in capers, salt and pepper to taste, and remove from heat

To fry the whiting:

1. Remove whiting from the fridge 10-20 minutes before cooking to allow it to get to room temperature, and salt the skin side only
2. After the 10-20 minutes, pat the skin side dry with paper towl to remove excess moisture
3. In a large frying pan, heat some high heat oil (vegetable, peanut etc) until almost at smoke point
4. Place the fillets in and slide the pan back and forth to ensure the skin doesn't stick
5. Once the fillet is almost opaque all the way through, cut the heat and flip on the non-skin side for about 10 seconds before removing from the pan

To serve:

1. Cook pasta of your choice in heavily salted water
2. Spoon on your pasta sauce
3. Place the whiting fillets on top, a squeeze of lemon and some grated zest, a drizzle of olive oil and another dash of pepper.