Lemon Harissa Pollock

Tangy-Healthy Fats-High Protein

Baked fish was not a favorite of mine for a long time. However, during my time working at Girl & the Goat Chicago, I was put on the saute station where Chef Stephanie Izard's infamous peanut butter & jelly halibut dish was made. After about 300+ halibut fillets (and a cry or two later), I learned to love the flaky, buttery, decadent possibilities of a white fish fillet.

That said, when I received the Alaskan Pollock fillets in the food box from the Switzerland County Food Pantry this week, I was ecstatic! I slowly mulled over some flavor profiles in my head and decided to go with a classic-Lemon Harissa.

Harissa is a Mediterranean pepper paste that pairs splendidly with white fish. Now, I don't want you to fear it because I said "pepper". Harissa is more or less paprika's cousin in terms of heat and spice; it's mild and smokey. Which means it truly adds to the blank canvas that is white fish.

The harissa seasoned pollock will be paired with a side of lemon lentils with rice, some seasoned roasted vegetables, and some healthy hollandaise sauce. Overall, the dish tangy and protein packed making it a bright but filling option for dinner.

Below you will find the recipes to this meal with their respective nutrition facts as well as the nutrition facts for the entire meal at the end of the article. As always, I hope you enjoy the meal and feel free to let me know what you think of the Alaskan Pollock!

Happy Food, Happy Health

Hailey Dornbusch

Published on 11/6/2025

Harissa Pollock

Ingredients

4 pollock fillets
1Tbsp paprika
1/2tsp chili powder
1T garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1tsp sumac
1/2 tsp accent, flavor enhancer
Zest of 1 lemon
2T lemon juice
1T olive oil

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Put a saute pan on medium-high heat and add the olive oil to the pan.
Take each fillet and lay it out of a sheet lined with paper towels. With more paper towels, gently pat dry the fillets.
Mix all of the spices and the zest in a small bowl until combined.
Next, coat the fillets with the lemon juice and then evenly sprinkle the spices on each of the fillets.
Once the oil in the pan is smoking ever so slightly, gently place two fillets in the pan. We are not adding all of the fillets at once because it will overcrowd the pan and make it less likely the fillets will season evenly.
Watch the edges of the fillet. They should bubble and turn a golden brown. This is when you will flip the fillet and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Repeat with the next two fillets.
As soon as all the fillets are finished searing, immediately put then in the preheated oven.
You will want to bake them until they are matte white (not opaque and shiney) and flakes easily when poked with a fork. Do not overcook your fish or the spices will burn and it will be rubbery. Use a meat thermometer to help you determine when your fish is finished.
Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 105
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5 g	7 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	3 %
Monounsaturated Fat 3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 47 mg	16 %
Sodium 376 mg	16 %
Potassium 102 mg	3 %
Total Carbohydrate 4 g	1 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	6 %
Sugars 1 g
Protein 12 g	24 %
Vitamin A	68 %
Vitamin C	8 %
Calcium	1 %
Iron	5 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Lemon Lentils with Rice

Ingredients

2 cups lentils
2 cups rice
8 cups water
Zest and juice of two lemons
1/2 tsp accent, flavor enhancer
1tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp sumac
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp dried parsley

Directions

Add all the ingredients except for the juice of one lemon.
Bring the pot to a rolling boil for about 2-3 minutes.
After the 2-3 minutes, drop the heat until its at a low simmer and cover the pot with a lid.
Cook for about 45 minutes.
Once the rice is done cooking, add the lemon juice and let it sit with the lid on it for about 10 more minutes.
Fluff with a fork and serve fresh.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 12.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 229
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 1 g	2 %
Saturated Fat 0 g	1 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0 %
Sodium 33 mg	1 %
Potassium 302 mg	9 %
Total Carbohydrate 45 g	15 %
Dietary Fiber 5 g	20 %
Sugars 1 g
Protein 10 g	21 %
Vitamin A	1 %
Vitamin C	14 %
Calcium	2 %
Iron	12 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Roasted Harissa Vegetables

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower
4 large carrots
1 can chickpeas, rinsed & dried
1 can spinach
1/4 cup harissa paste
1tsp dried dill
1tsp dried parsley
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice (one lemon)
1/2 tsp accent, flavor enhancer
1tsp ground pepper
1tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 spray olive oil

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Put a lightly oil sprayed baking sheet in the oven.
Wash and cut your cauliflower and carrots into bite size pieces. Dry thoroughly.
Drain, rinse, and dry your chickpeas.
Drain and squeeze out the liquid of your spinach.
Throw all the vegetables besides the spinach into a large bowl.
Add the harissa and lemon juice first using it to coat the vegetables.
Mix all your spice and zest in a small bowl until combined.
Coat your vegetables with the spice blend. Make sure to distribute the spices evenly.
Once the oven is preheated and the vegetables are seasoned, carefully pour them onto the hot baking sheet. The pan should be hot enough that the vegetables sizzle as you pour them on.
Let them cook for about 20 minutes and then add the spinach.
Cook the vegetables for another 5-10 minutes or until fork tender.
Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 8.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 121
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2 g	4 %
Saturated Fat 0 g	1 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0 %
Sodium 293 mg	12 %
Potassium 501 mg	14 %
Total Carbohydrate 22 g	7 %
Dietary Fiber 6 g	23 %
Sugars 6 g
Protein 7 g	13 %
Vitamin A	130 %
Vitamin C	95 %
Calcium	6 %
Iron	9 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Healthy Hollandaise

*This is not traditional hollandaise sauce, but it is a healthier version of the original.

Ingredients

1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
2 yolks
3T lemon juice
1/4 tsp accent, flavor enhancer
1/8 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1T dijon

Directions

In a small saucepot, heat an inch or two of water.
In a metal bowl, mix the yogurt, dijon, lemon juice, garlic paste, accent, and paprika.
Put the two yolks into a separate metal bowl.
Whisk the yolks over the boiling water until they become thick and slightly lighten in color.
Slowly add half the yogurt mixture to the yolks. Do not add too much at once or it will break the sauce subsequently ruining the texture.
Take the yolk and yogurt mixture off of the heat.
Slowly add in the other half of the yogurt.
Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.
Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 5.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 55
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2 g	3 %
Saturated Fat 1 g	3 %
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 74 mg	25 %
Sodium 144 mg	6 %
Potassium 24 mg	1 %
Total Carbohydrate 3 g	1 %
Dietary Fiber 0 g	1 %
Sugars 2 g
Protein 6 g	12 %
Vitamin A	3 %
Vitamin C	6 %
Calcium	6 %
Iron	1 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.