My dear friend Liza Utter and her husband Tom has us over for dinner a few years ago, and Liza made us a dinner that was so incredible I simply could not believe my taste buds.

She graciously gave me the recipe as soon as I asked for it, and now I’m giving it to you. If you like fish and great flavor, you are going to love this dish!

Here is what you will need:

1.5-2 lbs of fresh Halibut
3 large leeks, cut into 1/4 inch pieces (whites and light green parts only)
1/2 – 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (give or take)
3 lbs cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper to taste

1.Heat the pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons EVOO.

2. Once the oil is hot,  add 1/4 of the chopped leeks to the pan. You want to crisp these up to use as a garnish to finish the meal, so get them nice and brown and crispy, but don’t burn them! Once they are crispy, take them out of the pan and put them aside on a plate lined with a paper towel to catch the grease.

3. Using the same pan, turn the heat down to medium-low. Add about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of EVOO, or however much you need to coat the entire bottom of the pan so that the oil comes up about 1/2 inch up the sides. The EVOO is going to be part of the sauce, so you can be generous with it!

4. Once the oil is hot, add the rest of the leeks. Sweat them for 10-15 minutes until they are soft, buttery and translucent. You can add salt and pepper at this stage, or you can wait until the end.

5. Once the leeks are soft, add the cherry tomatoes.

6. Once the tomatoes are in the pan, turn up the flame so as to let the oil, tomatoes and leeks simmer together for about 15 minutes.  Let everything reduce together. After 15 minutes or so, put the cover over the pan on low flame and let them cook out for another 15-20 minutes. If you haven’t seasoned with salt and pepper yet, do it now.

7. Meanwhile, wash and dry your fish. Place in a baking dish. Coat with a little bit of olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and salt and pepper on both sides. Bake at 350F for about 20 minutes, covering it with tin foil for the first 15 minutes, and removing the foil for the last 5. If your fish is really thick and not cooked after 20 minutes, turn the heat up to 400F and bake it another 5-7 minutes, or until done. Take it out of the oven and cover it with tin foil to let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

8. To serve, take a large spoonful of leeks and tomatoes and lay it down on the plate. Then place a piece of fish on top, followed by more leeks and tomatoes, followed by the crispy leeks you prepared earlier.

Enjoy!