Bluefish with Fennel & Tomato Sauce
Submitted by diane.day
Bluefish fillets baked under a Provencal sauce of braised fennel, tomatoes, orange zest, and anise liqueur. Make-ahead friendly and elegant enough for a dinner party.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40 minThis is the kind of dish you’d find in a sun-drenched bistro along the French coast, where fennel grows wild and the fish was swimming that morning.
Braised fennel bulb meets fresh tomatoes, garlic, a strip of orange zest, and a splash of anise liqueur to create a sauce that’s equal parts sweet, savory, and aromatic.
Spoon it over bluefish fillets, cover, and stash it all in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. The whole thing can be assembled up to 12 hours ahead.
When it hits the oven, the fennel-tomato sauce melds into the rich fish, and a garnish of diced yellow pepper and snipped chives brings it home.
Kitchen Tips
- The sauce should look syrupy before you spoon it over the fish. If it’s watery, let it reduce uncovered for a few extra minutes.
- Any anise-flavored liqueur works here: Pernod, Ricard, or even ouzo.
- Pull the dish from the fridge 30 minutes before baking so the fish cooks evenly.
- Check for doneness by peeking at the thickest part of the fillet. It should be opaque all the way through, not translucent in the center.
Ingredients
Directions
Discard the feathery green tops of the fennel, core and cut the bulb into 1inch pieces.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 9 inch skillet.
Add the fennel, garlic, orange rind, fennel seeds, liquor, salt and pepper.
Cover and simmer, over medium heat for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes add the tomatoes, recover and simmer for 10 minutes longer.
Remove the cover and check the liquid in the pan.
If there is a good deal remaining, evaporate it until the mixture look syrupy.
Remove the orange rind.
Turn the heat off and stir in the butter.
Season to taste with salt and pepper; cool to room temperature.
Season the bluefish fillets with salt and pepper, and set them, skin side down in a generously buttered baking/serving dish large enough to hold the fillets in a single layer.
Spoon the cooled vegetable mixture over the fish, cover with foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.
To bake and serve, remove the fish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃) and bake 20 to 25 minutes covered with foil until the center no longer looks translucent but opaque.
Remove from oven and serve; garnish with yellow bell pepper and chives.
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