Browned And Braised Fish In Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 or 2 thick fillets of striped bass or similar fish, about 1 1/2 pounds (skin on, scaled and dried)
• Salt and pepper
• Flour for dredging
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon slivered garlic
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced
• 2 cups tomatoes (fresh or canned), cored and chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained (optional)
• Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

4 servings

Preparation

1. Put half the oil in a deep skillet wide enough to accommodate the fish. Turn heat to medium high. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper, and dredge skin side in flour. When oil is hot (a pinch of flour will sizzle), put fish in pan skin side down and cook, adjusting heat as necessary so fish browns but does not burn. Cook without turning 5 to 10 minutes, until bottom of fish is nicely browned. Turn off heat, and carefully remove fish to a platter, browned side up.
2. Let pan cool a few moments, and wipe it out with paper towels. Add the remaining oil and the onion, garlic and pepper; cook together over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and, if you are using them, capers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break up, 5 to 10 minutes; adjust heat so mixture bubbles steadily but not violently.
3. Return fish to pan skin side up, and cook just until fish is tender. Garnish, and serve fish with sauce.

40 minutes