WHITE FISH POACHED IN TOMATO SAUCE WITH CHILI OIL

Happy New Year to everyone as a new decade begins.

After a hectic second half of 2019, I look forward to a more relaxing time. The year ended with us spending 9 days in Ireland. The weather actually turned out to be pretty decent and we dined on great food, beer and whiskey, as we drove around the southern half of the country. I am now inspired to try a few Irish dishes, but that will have to wait.

One of my goals this year is to eat healthier. One of the key components of a healthy diet is to eat more fish. So I have decided to definitely cook and eat more fish and seafood this year. I have disliked fish since a very young age, but in recent years, I have developed a new taste for fish and definitely enjoy it more.

Here is a recipe I cooked last weekend. It was inspired by Alison Roman’s (NYT cooking) recipe. It was easy to make, taking less than an hour from start to finish. The key is to have fresh ingredients, especially the fish. Though cod would work well, I opted for Tilapia, which cooks faster and whose taste I like better.

Always remember to wash the fish fillets in cold water and pat dry with paper towels (this will eliminate any unpleasant ‘fishy’ odors)..

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh Tilapia fillets, cut into 3-4” pieces

2 shallots, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3 green chillies, whole

1 tsp dry Chilli flakes

5-6 tbsp Olive oil

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

4-5 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp Fish/Soy sauce

Fresh Cilantro

Scallions, chopped

1 lime

Method:

Make the Chilli oil first:

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan.

Add the shallots and garlic and fry on medium heat.

Add salt, pepper and chilli flakes.

Cook till lightly browned.

Remove from heat and transfer to another container, leaving a thin layer of oil.

Make the tomato sauce:

Heat the remaining oil in the same frying pan to medium high.

Add the tomatoes and fry.

Add the Fish/Soy sauce and combine.

Add salt, pepper, chilli flakes and whole green chillies.

Add ½ cup water.

Stir and fry till cooked through.

Check the seasoning.

In the meantime, sprinkle the fish on both sides with salt and pepper.

Add the fish in a single layer.

Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.

The fish is done when opaque.

Serve:

Add the fish to a bowl.

Pour tomato sauce over the fish.

Add the fried onions and chilli oil.

Add a dash of lime juice.

Top with cilantro and chopped scallions.