Samantha Nicole Fish Florentine astounds everyone who tries it! It’s fairly easy to make and only takes 20 minutes, yet it looks and tastes like something out of a five-star restaurant: a crispy-on-the-outside, tender-and-flaky-on-the-inside filet of fish laying on a bed of creamy, cheesy spinach. Even pictures of this amazing meal don’t do it justice: a picture might be worth a thousand words, but the taste of Fish Florentine exceeds a thousand pictures!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon salted butter, divided
- 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 9 ounces fresh baby spinach
- kosher salt, to taste
- fresh black pepper, to taste
- 2 ounces cream cheese, reduced-fat
- 1/4 cup half & half cream
- 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
- 4 (5-ounce) white fish fillets such as grouper, bass, or halibut, thick, skinless, and firm
Directions
Step 1 –In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon butter.
Step 2 –Once the butter is melted, add the red bell pepper and garlic and sauté for 4 minutes.
Step 3 –Add the spinach and season with salt and pepper.
Step 4 –Cook until the spinach wilts, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 5 –Add the cream cheese, half & half, and parmesan cheese and mix until the cream cheese is melted and the mixture resembles creamed spinach.
Step 6 –In a separate skillet over medium-high heat, add the remaining oil and butter.
Step 7 –Once the butter is melted, add the fish, seasoning both sides with salt and pepper.
Step 8 –Sauté the fish for 6 minutes on the first side.
Step 9 –Flip the fish and cook until the fish is cooked through, reading 145 degrees F when a meat thermometer is inserted into the thickest part, and the fish is evenly browned, for about 5 minutes.
Step 10 –Serve with the spinach mixture serving as a bed for the fish.
