— · Mains
Tomato-Poached Fish With Chile Oil and Herbs
Poaching boneless, skinless fish fillets in a brothy sauce is a foolproof method for cooking fish. Here, go for meaty, mild-flavored, firm-fleshed varieties like cod, haddock, pollack, halibut or flounder. This flavorful sauce, made from burst cherry tomatoes, sizzled shallots and toasted garlic, has a summery vibe.
Ingredients
Serves 4- ¼ cupolive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 4garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 smallshallot, thinly sliced into rings
- 1 tspred-pepper flakes
- 1 lbsmall, sweet tomatoes, halved
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 tspfish sauce (optional)
- 10 lbfluke, halibut or cod, cut into 4 equal pieces
- 1 cupcilantro, leaves and tender stems
- ½ cupmint, leaves and tender stems
- Limes, halved, for serving
- Tortillas, toast or rice, for serving (optional)
Method
- 01
Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large skillet (with a lid) over medium-high. Add garlic and shallots and cook, swirling the skillet constantly until they start to toast and turn light golden brown, 2 minutes or so. Add red-pepper flakes and swirl to toast for a few seconds. Remove from heat and transfer all but 1 tablespoon of the chile oil to a small bowl.
- 02
Add tomatoes to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until they burst and start to become saucy and jammy, 5 to 8 minutes. Add fish sauce, if using, and 1½ cups water, swirling to release any bits stuck on the bottom.
- 03
Cook until the sauce is slightly thickened but still nice and brothy, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- 04
Season the fish with salt and pepper and gently lay the pieces in the brothy tomatoes. Cover the skillet and cook until the fish is opaque and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes.
- 05
Transfer fish and brothy tomatoes to bowls. Drizzle with reserved chile oil, more olive oil and the crispy shallots and garlic. Top with cilantro and mint, and serve with limes for squeezing. Serve with tortillas, toast or rice, if you like.