Portuguese-style Fish

By Shawn

Ingredients

• 12 ounces skinned cod fillets (may substitute other white-fleshed fish fillets, such as sea bass or flounder)
• About 6 red pearl onions
• 2 medium cloves garlic
• 1 medium jalapeño pepper
• One 14-ounce can no-salt-added whole tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1/3 cup dry red wine (optional; may substitute juices from the tomatoes OR 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar)
• A few stems fresh thyme, plus more fresh leaves for garnish (may substitute 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Flaky salt, for garnish

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Trim and peel the onions; cut each one into thin slices. Stem and seed the jalapeño, then mince. Mince the garlic; combining the vegetables on the cutting board as you cut them is okay. Cut each of the tomatoes into 6 chunks

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in an ovenproof nonstick skillet until shimmering over medium heat. Stir in the onions; cook for about 8 minutes, until mostly translucent. Stir in the garlic and jalapeño; cook for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes and their juices, the wine and thyme. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low; cook for 10 minutes, stirring a few times, then uncover and cook for 5 minutes more. Taste, and season with salt and pepper, as needed.

Pat dry the fish fillets, if you haven’t already. Coat them on both sides with the remaining teaspoon of oil, then season generously with salt and pepper. Cut them into chunks and place them, skinned sides down, on top of the sauce in the pan, then transfer to the oven. Roast (middle rack) for 10 minutes, or just until the fish is slightly firmer and more opaque (a brighter shade of white, which is why it’s better to place them in the pan skinned sides down; so you can better tell how done they are).

Discard the thyme stems. Drizzle with oil, scatter fresh thyme leaves on top and serve hot.