Tomato-Poached Fish With Chile Oil and Herbs
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Poaching white fish in a broth is very easy to do and very delicious. You want a firm fleshed fish with a mild flavor like cod, haddock, pollack, halibut or flounder. (Here we used halibut). The sauce is made with cherry tomatoes, garlic, shallots and red pepper flakes for some zing. We served it over whole wheat Israeli couscous. Since we had lots of basil in our herb garden, we added it, but feel free to use what herbs you like (cilantro, parsley, mint).
MAKES: 4 Servings
PREP/COOK TIME: 40 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon for couscous
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 small shallot, thinly sliced into rings
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 pound small, sweet tomatoes, halved
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
1 ¼ pounds fluke, halibut or cod, cut into 4 equal pieces
1 cup sweet basil
1 cup whole wheat Israeli couscous
1 1/4 cup Magic Mineral Broth
DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil in a large skillet (use one with a lid) over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallots and cook, swirling the skillet constantly until they are starting 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.
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 1 1/2 cups water, swirling to release any of the bits stuck on the bottom of the skillet.
Cook until the sauce is slightly thickened but still nice and brothy, 3 to 5 minutes. You can add a bit more water if needed. Season with salt and pepper.
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 (slightly longer for a thicker piece of fish, like Halibut).
Meanwhile, make the couscous. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large saucepan at medium high heat. Add the couscous and stir until it begins to taste and smell nutty. Add the Magic Mineral Broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover, cooking for about six minutes or until the broth is absorbed.
To serve, add couscous to shallow bowls, transfer fish and brothy tomatoes over the top. Drizzle with reserved bowl of chile oil and the crispy shallots and garlic. Top with basil.
