Pesce all’Acqua Pazza (Fish in Crazy Water)
Updated Sept. 9, 2021
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 2garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½teaspoon fennel seeds
- Pinch of red-pepper flakes, plus more as needed
- 1½pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled if desired, coarsely chopped
- Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- 4(6-ounce) fillets firm or medium-firm white fish, such as sea bass or sea bream (skin on or off)
- Grilled or crusty bread, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
359 calories; 18 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 861 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large skillet with high sides, combine the olive oil, garlic, fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes. Set over medium-low and cook, swirling occasionally, until sizzling and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Step 2
Add 2½ cups water, the tomatoes and 2 teaspoons salt to the skillet. Bring to a boil over high, then cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the tomatoes are softened and the water is bright red and tastes like tomato, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Step 3
Pat the fish dry and season with salt. Lay the fish into the tomato water, cover and cook until the fish is opaque and flakes easily, 4 to 8 minutes.
- Step 4
Taste the water and adjust seasonings with salt and red-pepper flakes. If the liquid has reduced so much that it resembles sauce, add a little water until it looks like tomatoes suspended in red-tinted water. Serve the fish and tomato water in shallow bowls, with a drizzle of olive oil and bread for dunking.
Private Notes
Comments
The key to this which is not mentioned in the recipe is a very gentle poach on the fish. Make sure the tomato water is not boiling when you add the fish and holds a very gentle simmer around 180 degrees, which is a low to medium setting on your burner, so the fish does not dry out and become chewy. I teach culinary students how to properly poach fish and I have seen many fillets ruined by too high of heat. That being said, I'm going to try this soon, sounds delicious.
I love this recipe from M. Hazan! I add sliced fennel in addition to the seeds. I also sub 1 c white wine for 1 c water. Allowing the liquid to evaporate a bit more after poaching the fish let’s the sauce thicken some. Simple yet tasty.
Garlic is a good add, but I think some spice to replace the fennel would be good - say basil or oregano or Italian seasoning or perhaps some sweet red pepper in with the tomatoes.
I made this as written, and I can't believe it only has 4 stars. It was FANTASTIC! So simple to make, yet a wonderfully rich and complex flavor profile. I used canned San Marzanos instead of fresh, and added a little bit of parmesan cheese to finish. If you don't love salty, briny food, cut the salt back to 1 tsp. Definitely going in my rotation of weekly recipes!
Fabulous! So simple and so delicious. I used a can of fire roasted tomatoes and served on a bed of basmati rice to soak up the juice. Will definitely add this to my dinner rotation.
The sauce is very acidic, like a fresh marinara. I slowly added a tsp of cane sugar to cut I’d down. It was perfect!