Saturday is fish day at our house, as that’s the day our local fishmonger has fresh fish. We don’t get a huge variety here, but there is usually a choice of Chilean salmon (farmed—ugh—so we’re off that), corvina (not, as many believe, Chilean sea bass; it’s actually a local variety officially know as—wait for it—corvina), giant squid (I really don’t get this—there are always slabs of squid in the market. Why?), merluza (hake), and my favorite, reineta (pomfret). Pomfret (in case you aren’t familiar with it) is a flounder-like flat fish, except the eyes don’t migrate. It is absolutely wonderful to cook with— a good sweet flavor, very forgiving if you overcook it, firm fleshed so it stays together, and generally amenable to everything but grilling. We eat a lot of reineta.

My kids are still in that pesky phase when all sauces are suspect. More than suspect, they’re scary. So I usually either poach or pan fry the fish very simply, and then serve some sort of sauce or condiment for Ed and I.

This cilantro pesto is a favorite. It is very strongly flavored with garlic, green olives, pickles, and vinegar, which provide a good tangy complement to the subtle…