This is a recipe I discovered years ago. And it comes from Spain. That, I’m pretty sure of.  This dish  definitely harks back to the Islamic reign in Spain which lasted 700 years. Paella; the use of saffron; the cold soup, gazpacho; almond torte; flan; albondigas (meatballs); escabeche (cold marinated fish); can all be traced back to Moorish cooking. They also introduced citrus such as lemons and Seville oranges, as well as cooking with anchovies—and here you get fish fillets with orange  and anchovies.

In this dish I use red snapper but you can use any good firm-fleshed fish fillets (haddock, scrod, cod, halibut, etc.). It calls for the zest, that is, flaked skin, of a lemon and an orange. You can use a fruit zester for this, or scrape the fruit skin using a grater; either works well. The dish has a nice citrusy undertone, but the other spices and the butter balance it off so that you get a succulent dish. It’s a recipe that is easy, but made to impress.

BROILED FISH WITH ORANGES AND ANCHOVIES

4 five-ounce fish fillets
6 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons minced shallots
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
Zest of 1/2 a lemon, grated
Zest of 1/2 orange, grated
Pinch of red pepper flakes (or more, if you want it spicier)
6-ounce can? anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry and finely chopped
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon butter
1 orange (preferably Seville orange), sectioned
1/2 lemon

1. Heat broiler on high. Brush both sides of fillets with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Place fillets in a oven-proof dish on top of rack. If using red snapper, place them skin side up. Cook until skin is blistered and fish is almost cooked through, about 3-5 minutes—be careful not to burn the fish. Transfer to a warm plate and set aside.
3. Heat remaining olive oil in a medium skillet or fry pan over high heat. Add shallots, garlic, fruit zests, pepper flakes and anchovies. Cook until sizzling.
4. Add orange juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 3 minutes or until thickened.
5. Turn off heat and swirl in the butter. Gently stir in the orange sections, and add a squirt of lemon juice from the 1/2 lemon.
6. Top the fish fillets with orange-anchovy sauce and serve.
    Yield: 4 servings.