(Poisson † la Ni‧oise)


Typical Niçois ingredients — including tomatoes, fennel, anchovies and olives — flavor this dish from Auberge des Arts. At the restaurant it’s made with red mullet (rouget), which is a local fish. We’ve substituted red snapper.

Serves 6.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4tablespoons olive oil
  • 4medium fennel bulbs, chopped (about 8 cups)6tomatoes, cut into 3/4-inch-thick wedges, seeded
  • 1/2cup niçois olives
  • 12anchovy fillets, chopped
  • 2tablespoons drained capers
  • 2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 6garlic cloves, minced
  • 1tablespoon grated lemon peel
  • 1/4cup chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth65-ounce red snapper fillets

    DIRECTIONS

    Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add fennel; cook until almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer fennel to bowl (do not clean skillet).


    Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over high heat. Add tomatoes and next 6 ingredients; sauté 2 minutes. Mix in stock.


    Spoon half of fennel into 15 x 10 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Top with fish, then remaining fennel. Spoon tomato mixture over. Bake until fish is just opaque in center, about 20 minutes.