![Pan-Seared Pickerel on Mixed Vegetable-and-Crab Panzanella](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.foodandwine.com/thmb/9FcSQxREjHakyo4L7BjLWKu5JZI=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/recipe0815-xl-pan-seared-pickerel-on-mixed-vegetable-and-crab-panzanella-9817dc40bfd34bddbd588a10a741918a.jpg)
Ingredients
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1 cup cubed ciabatta (1-inch pieces)
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1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
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1/4 cup sherry vinegar
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2 garlic cloves, minced
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2 red bell peppers
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2 yellow bell peppers
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Canola oil, for brushing
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1 small red onion, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
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1 ear of corn, shucked
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Kosher salt
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Pepper
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1/2 fennel bulb—halved, cored and thinly sliced
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12 cherry tomatoes, halved
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4 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over (1/2 cup)
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Four 6-ounce skin-on pickerel, flounder or perch fillets
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1/4 cup lightly packed parsley leaves
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1/4 cup lightly packed mint leaves
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 400°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the ciabatta cubes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and bake, tossing occasionally, until crisp and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar with the garlic and let stand for 10 minutes.
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Roast the red and yellow peppers directly over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning, until charred all over. Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let cool, about 15 minutes. Peel, stem and seed the peppers, then cut them into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Add to the vinegar in the bowl.
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Light a grill or preheat a grill pan and oil the grate. Season the onion and corn with salt and pepper and grill over high heat, turning as necessary, until tender and nicely charred, about 6 minutes. Cut the kernels off the cob. Add the corn, onion, croutons, fennel, tomatoes, crabmeat and 1/4 cup of the olive oil to the bowl and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.
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In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering. Season the fish with salt and pepper and add to the skillet skin side down. Cook over moderately high heat, gently pressing with a spatula, until the skin is browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the fillets and cook until the fish is white throughout, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
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Toss three-quarters each of the parsley and mint leaves with the panzanella and mound on plates or a platter. Top with the fish, garnish with the remaining parsley and mint and serve immediately.