Poached Fish with Vegetables and Herbs

This is a subtle dish from Apulia, and it’s sort of a cross between a braise and a stew. There is some liquid, so I usually serve it in a shallow soup bowl, but you also need a knife and fork because the fish is in large pieces.

Makes 4 to 6 servings | Prep time: 25 minutes | Minimum cook time: 2 hours in a medium slow cooker

1 pound thick firm-fleshed white fish fillets, such as cod, halibut, or sea bass, cut into serving pieces

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 large sweet onion, like Vidalia or Bermuda, halved and thinly sliced

2 celery ribs, sliced

1/2 small fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced

2 cups Seafood Stock or purchased stock

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 bay leaf

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 dozen littleneck clams, well scrubbed

1. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Rub fish with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, tightly covered with plastic wrap.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and fennel, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Scrape mixture into the slow cooker.

3. Add stock, tomatoes, wine, 3 tablespoons parsley, oregano, lemon zest, and bay leaf to the slow cooker, and stir well. Cook on Low for 4 to 5 hours or on High for 2 to 21/2 hours, or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

4. If cooking on Low, raise the heat to High. Add fish, shrimp, and clams, and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until fish is cooked through and flakes easily. Remove and discard bay leaf, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot, sprinkling each serving with remaining parsley.

Note: The vegetable mixture can be cooked up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat it in a microwave oven or over low heat, and return it to the slow cooker. The fish should be cooked just prior to serving.

Variation:

images Substitute red wine for the white wine, and add 2 tablespoons tomato paste to the slow cooker.