Chef Crush

I cannot believe we've gotten this far along without addressing my, ahem, crush on Jamie Oliver. I think I can sum my admiration up like this: when Jake and I talk about moving to London, as we sometimes do, I always, always remind him that if we did transport our lives overseas, I could finally apply to work for my chef crush. Nothing spectacular mind you. I would sweep floors for a living if it meant I could pick that Brit's brain.

I bring this up tonight because I was having a bit of a blah day, with nothing much on the agenda and nothing at all simmering on the stove for dinner tonight. Because it is a Saturday and because I had time to spend hours in the kitchen, I supposed I should make something special. But by four o'clock I hadn't so much as picked up a spatula, much less made a grocery list or any real plans for dinner. Thank goodness I reached for my favorite Oliver tome just then; finally, I became inspired.

Many dishes caught my eye, among them cheat's pappardelle with slow-braised leeks and a quirky sounding, new-to-me dish called bubble and squeak. But what really interested me was the grilled squid salad with warm chorizo dressing that Jake and I made last summer. I'd forgotten how good it was. 

Obviously, the grill is tucked away for the rainy winter, and I'm not really one for grilling anyway. (When you marry a firefighter, you let them deal with the flames.) Nor was I in the mood for squid  - it seemed too chewy, too tough for my tender mood tonight. What I needed was an adaption, one that used a neutral fish fillet as the base for that warm, smoky chorizo dressing.

Within 30 minutes - including a trip to the store - I was spooning my twist on Oliver's dressing over the top of a thin strip of Dover sole. The dish on its own was impressive enough - all layers of sweet-spicy dressing balanced by the clean flavor of the fish. But because I'm the kind of girl who needs greens to consider a meal complete, I repurposed my favorite quick, pan-kissed kale as a side dish. Only this time, I tossed the kale with quartered artichoke hearts, crusty cubes of bread and slivers of Parmesan cheese. The plate was perfect, something I'd like to think Oliver might call "proper feel good food." 

Dover Sole with Warm Chorizo Dressing
You could use any type of white fish here, though I'm told halibut and chorizo don't play well together. I found sole fitting since the long, thin fillet was perfectly portioned for one. Be sure to get soft chorizo when shopping because if you mistakenly use the hard variety, you'll be sorely disappointed by this dish. 

Serves 1

1 white fish fillet, such as Dover sole
Olive oil
1 teaspoon red onion, finely chopped
1 ounce soft chorizo sausage
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked clean

Set the oven to broil. Place the fillet in an oven-safe baking dish and drizzle a bit of olive oil over it. Season it very lightly with salt and pepper, and slide it into the oven to cook. (The fish will take approximately 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillet).

Saute the onion in a bit of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When the bits are transulescent, add the chorizo to the pan. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, break the meat into pebble-sized pieces as it cooks. When the chorizo has released some of its fatty juices and is cooked through, turn off the heat. Stir in the thyme and balsamic vinegar.

Remove the fish from the oven and place it on a plate. Spoon the chorizo dressing over the fish and serve immediately.

-Adapted from Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver