Thick White Fleshed Fish Fillets Poached with Tomatoes and Cinnamon

This scented tomato stew is the perfect sauce for a meaty, thick-fl eshed fi sh. Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil since it’s the fi nishing “sauce” on the fi sh. To serve, lay the fi llets over Perfect Mashed Potatoes
or cooked rice, then ladle the sauce on top.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 medium shallots, peeled and quartered

2 garlic cloves, slivered

11⁄2 pounds fresh tomatoes, preferably Roma or plum tomatoes, chopped

One 4-inch cinnamon stick

1⁄4 teaspoon fennel seeds

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Six 4- to 6-ounce thick white-fleshed fish fillets, skinned

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and golden, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add the tomatoes; tuck in the cinnamon stick. Stir in the fennel seeds, salt, and pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer; then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer; until the tomatoes break down and create a sauce, stirring once in a while, about 20 minutes.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and discard it. Nestle the fi sh into the tomatoes, drizzle it with olive oil, cover, and poach until the thick, opaque layers split evenly when pulled with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes.

Makes 4 servings