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rock cod salt freshly ground black pepper branches fennel bulbs potatoes onions tomatoes red pepper extra-virgin olive oil white wine shallots anisette unsalted butter lemon lemons parsley sprigs
Viewed: 44 - Published at: 6 years agoIngredients
- 1 whole rock cod, about 1 1/2 feet long, cleaned and scaled
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 5 medium fennel branches
- 2 fennel bulbs, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, plus 1/2 fennel bulb, finely chopped
- 4 fingerling potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 2 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 4 tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine or water
- 3 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Pernod or anisette
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 2 lemons, cut into halves or wedges
- Fresh parsley sprigs
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- With a sharp knife, cut 1-inch-deep incisions all along the length of the fish on each side of the backbone.
- Cut 1/2-inch-deep incisions into the fillets at 1-inch intervals perpendicular to the fish's length.
- Season the fish all over, including the incisions and its cavity, with salt and pepper.
- Put 4 of the fennel branches in the body cavity.
- Spread 2 of the sliced fennel bulbs, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes on a rimmed metal baking sheet.
- Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and the red pepper flakes.
- Drizzle generously with olive oil.
- Place the fish on top of the vegetables, body cavity down, and drizzle it generously with olive oil.
- Pour half of the wine over the fish and vegetables.
- Place the baking sheet on top of the stove over 2 burners set to medium-high heat.
- As soon as the liquid in the baking sheet starts to steam, transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven.
- Roast the fish, basting it occasionally with the juices from the pan, until its flesh easily separates from the bone when 1 of the incisions is probed with the side of the basting spoon, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add the shallots and chopped fennel bulb and saute until translucent but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat.
- Add the Pernod, which may flare up as its alcohol burns, and then pour in the remaining white wine and stir and scrape to deglaze the pan deposits.
- Simmer briskly until the liquid has reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes.
- Whisking continuously, add the butter to the pan 1 or 2 pieces at a time until it melts, forming a thick, creamy sauce.
- Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and stir in the lemon juice.
- Pour the sauce through a fine strainer held over another saucepan, and press down on the solids with the back of a wooden spoon to press out all the liquid.
- Finely chop the fronds of the remaining fennel branch, stir all but a tablespoon or so of them into the sauce, and adjust the seasonings, to taste.
- Keep the sauce warm over low heat.
- Use a pair of large spatulas to transfer the fish to a serving platter.
- Arrange the roasted vegetables around the fish and drizzle with 1 or 2 spoonfuls of the sauce over it.
- Garnish the platter with lemons and parsley, drizzle the fish with a little more olive oil, and serve, passing the sauce separately.
