Poached Fish Fillets with Sherry-Tomato Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 4 skinless white fish fillets (1 inch thick; meaty fish such as cod, halibut, sea bass, or snapper work best)
• Kosher salt (For seasoning fish and artichokes, plus 3/4 teaspoon for vinaigrette and more to taste)
• 4 oz frozen artichoke hearts (Thawed, patted dry, and sliced in half lengthwise)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 0.75 cup olive oil (A neutral oil such as canola may be substituted; 1/2 cup is used for frying the artichokes and the remaining 1/4 cup is added before poaching)
• 0.5 cup garlic (Minced)
• 0.25 cup onion (Peeled; used to displace oil)
• 4 oz cherry tomatoes (Use whole for the vinaigrette)
• 0.5 shallot (Peeled)
• 4 tsp sherry vinegar
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley (Chopped)
• 2 oz cherry tomatoes (Cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds)

Steps

1. 1

   Adjust the oven racks to the middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 250°F (120°C).

2. 2

   Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels. Season each fillet with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, toss the artichoke hearts with the cornstarch in a bowl until coated.

4. 4

   Heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.

5. 5

   Shake excess cornstarch from the artichokes, then add them to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, 2 to 4 minutes.

6. 6

   Add the minced garlic and cook until golden, 30 to 60 seconds.

7. 7

   Strain the oil through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl; do not wash the strainer. Transfer the artichokes and garlic to an ovenproof, paper-towel-lined plate and season with kosher salt.

8. 8

   Return the strained oil to the skillet and add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Place the peeled onion half in the center of the pan.

9. 9

   Let the oil cool until it registers about 180°F (82°C), 5 to 8 minutes.

10. 10

    Arrange the fish fillets skinned-side up around the onion, with the oil coming roughly halfway up the fillets. Spoon a little oil over each fillet, cover the skillet, and transfer it to the middle oven rack. Cook for 15 minutes.

11. 11

    Remove the skillet from the oven. Using two spatulas, carefully flip the fillets.

12. 12

    Cover the skillet and return it to the middle rack. Place the plate of artichokes and garlic on the lower-middle rack. Continue cooking the fish until it registers 130–135°F (54–57°C), 9 to 14 minutes longer.

13. 13

    Gently transfer the fish to a serving platter, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking oil. Tent the fish loosely with aluminum foil. Turn off the oven, leaving the plate of artichokes and garlic inside to stay warm.

14. 14

    In a blender, process the whole cherry tomatoes, shallot, sherry vinegar, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, pepper, and reserved 1/2 cup fish-cooking oil until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

15. 15

    Add any fish juices that have accumulated on the platter. Season with additional kosher salt to taste, then blend for 10 seconds.

16. 16

    Strain the vinaigrette through the fine-mesh strainer, pressing the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids.

17. 17

    Pour the vinaigrette around the fish. Garnish each fillet with the warmed crisped artichokes and garlic, chopped parsley, and tomato rounds. Serve immediately.

Notes

Serve with couscous or steamed white rice. The onion half helps displace the oil; a 4-ounce porcelain ramekin may be used instead. The source states a total time of 1 hour 35 minutes but does not separately specify prep and cook times.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• fish
• gluten-free
• dairy-free
• poached
• oven-cooked
• seafood