Turmeric-baked sole fillet with tomatoes on rice
Sole fillets rubbed with turmeric and garlic, baked on tomatoes and onion until golden — fifteen minutes in the oven, little oil and no frying.
- 30 min
- Serves 2
- Bake
- Easy
Why it suits you: Blood-stasis types often have a dull complexion, bruise easily or suffer period pain, and long hours in air conditioning at the Summer Solstice make blood more prone to congeal, since cold slows it. Turmeric moves blood and qi and eases pain, and tomato aids digestion. Baking rather than frying keeps the oil down, and it reheats well for a packed lunch.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 15 min- 1Thaw the fish if frozen and pat dry with kitchen paper. Rub with the turmeric, garlic, salt, pepper and half the olive oil and leave for 10 minutes.
- 2Heat the oven to 200°C. Spread the tomato wedges and onion in a baking dish and toss with the remaining oil and a pinch of salt.
- 3Lay the fish on the vegetables and bake for 12–15 minutes, until the flesh is white and flakes easily.
- 4Squeeze over a little lemon juice and serve the fish, tomatoes and juices over the rice.
Cautions
- Turmeric moves blood, so go easy if you are pregnant, have heavy periods or take blood-thinning medicine.
Chef's tips
- No oven? Use an air fryer at 180°C for 10–12 minutes. Turmeric stains, so you may want gloves when rubbing it on.
The TCM view
Turmeric is pungent, bitter and warm, invigorating blood, moving qi, unblocking the channels and easing pain. Tomato is sweet, sour and slightly cold, generating fluids and aiding digestion. Onion is pungent and warm, regulating qi and dispersing stasis; sole is sweet and neutral, tonifying the spleen; and black pepper warms the middle. Turmeric and onion warm the vessels while tomato tempers their dryness.
