“What do you typically make for dinner on a busy weeknight?” is probably the question I am asked most often. My answer depends on the season, but in the cooler months one of my go-tos is to pop fish filets on a sheet pan alongside a quick-cooking vegetable, and season them simply with olive oil, salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. After about 15 minutes in the oven, brightened with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice all over, and served with a hunk of whole grain bread or cooked grain, you have a lovely, tasty meal on the table with just a little effort.
The fish can be any kind, but for it to cook in the same time as a tender vegetable, such as broccoli, green beans or large asparagus, a thicker piece of firm fish, such as salmon, cod or halibut, is optimal. You could also go with a vegetable that takes a bit longer, such as carrots, potato, squash or cauliflower, instead or in addition, you’d just need to give those a head start in the oven. And, of course, you could expand the seasonings as you wish, adding a sprinkle of thyme, paprika or gochugaru, for example.
For this recipe, I built on the simple lemony fish and vegetable formula with an easy but sumptuously flavorful parsley-shallot sauce. All the ingredients for the sauce — heaps of fresh parsley, shallot, mustard, lemon, oil, salt and pepper — are whirred in a food processor until a smooth, creamy, gorgeously green sauce is formed. It comes together in minutes, but it can also be made up to 3 days ahead.
With the sauce spooned luxuriously over the fish and the tender, lightly crisped broccolini alongside, it’s an easy, satisfying answer to the question every cook is asked regularly: “What’s for dinner?”
Storage Notes: Any leftover sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
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