Hands-on Time30 MinsTotal Time2 Hours 45 Mins
Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 1 fillet, about 1 1/2 cups relish)
Poaching fish is a smart use for your slow cooker. The wine mixture cooks in the slow cooker for 2 hours to get hot and mingled before the fish is added for 15 to 25 minutes. The relish, with its slightly acidic tomatoes, briney capers, and crunchy fennel, is a great complement for the bass. This dish also makes a fantastic topper for salad greens. Garnish with additional fresh thyme sprigs, if desired.
Ingredients
- 2medium shallots
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 4 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons brined caper liquid from jar
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 6fresh thyme sprigs
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 10 ounces halved multicolored cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb (from 1 bulb)
- 2 tablespoons drained and rinsed capers
- 4(6-ounce) skin-on sea bass fillets (about 2 inches thick)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Nutritional Information
- Calories 291
- Fat 12g
- Satfat 2g
- Unsatfat 10g
- Protein 33g
- Carbohydrate 8g
- Fiber 2g
- Sugars 4g
- Added sugars 0g
- Sodium 577mg
- Calcium 4% DV
- Potassium 21% DV
- Calories 291
- Fat 12g
- Satfat 2g
- Unsatfat 10g
- Protein 33g
- Carbohydrate 8g
- Fiber 2g
- Sugars 4g
- Added sugars 0g
- Sodium 577mg
- Calcium 4% DV
- Potassium 21% DV
How to Make It
Step 1
Cut 1 shallot into quarters. Stir together the quartered shallots, wine, water, lemon juice, caper liquid, pepper, fennel seeds, 4 of the thyme sprigs, and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW until mixture is well incorporated, 2 hours.
Step 2
Finely chop the leaves from the remaining 2 thyme sprigs. Thinly slice the remaining shallot. Stir together the chopped thyme, sliced shallots, cherry tomatoes, sliced fennel, capers, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a bowl. Stir 1 tablespoon of the wine mixture from the slow cooker into the relish.
Step 3
Add the sea bass to the slow cooker, skin side up, and nestle into the wine mixture. Cover and cook on LOW until a thermometer inserted in the fillets registers 140°F and the fish flakes easily with a fork, 15 to 25 minutes. Transfer the fish to a platter, discarding the wine mixture in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the fish with the salt, and serve with the tomato-fennel relish.
Chef’s Notes
Fennel is a cool-weather vegetable with a crunchy texture and a slightly sweet flavor similar to licorice or star anise. It’s composed of a bulb, stalks, feathery fronds, and seeds. This recipe makes use of two parts: fennel seeds to flavor the poaching liquid and sliced fennel bulb as the base for the relish.
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