Fish Poached in Crazy Water
By America's Test KitchenPublished on April 7, 2020
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 4
Italian Name:
Pesce all'acqua pazza
Ingredients
1 (6-inch) piece rustic Italian bread, cut into 8 slices3 garlic cloves, peeled (1 whole, 2 sliced thin)6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzlingSalt and pepper 1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 cups water 1 cup dry white wine 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained2 sprigs fresh oregano 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley, stems reserved4 (4- to 6-ounce) skin-on red snapper fillets, ¾ to 1 inch thickLemon wedges
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange bread slices in single layer on rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes, flipping slices halfway through baking. While bread is still hot, rub with garlic clove, drizzle with ¼ cup oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside for serving.
- Cook remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sliced garlic in 12-inch skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is pale golden brown, 9 to 12 minutes. Add onion, pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook over medium heat until onion is softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in water, wine, tomatoes, oregano sprigs, and parsley stems. Bring to simmer and cook until flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Season snapper with salt and pepper. Nestle snapper skin side down into broth and spoon some onions and tomatoes on top. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently until snapper flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and registers 140 degrees, about 10 minutes.
- Discard oregano sprigs and parsley stems. Place one crostini in each individual shallow serving bowl and set snapper fillets on top. Stir parsley into broth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle broth over snapper and drizzle with extra oil. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and remaining crostini.
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 4Italian Name:
Pesce all'acqua pazzaIngredients
1 (6-inch) piece rustic Italian bread, cut into 8 slices
3 garlic cloves, peeled (1 whole, 2 sliced thin)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Salt and pepper
1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups water
1 cup dry white wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 sprigs fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley, stems reserved
4 (4- to 6-ounce) skin-on red snapper fillets, ¾ to 1 inch thick
Lemon wedges
Ingredients
1 (6-inch) piece rustic Italian bread, cut into 8 slices
3 garlic cloves, peeled (1 whole, 2 sliced thin)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Salt and pepper
1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups water
1 cup dry white wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 sprigs fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley, stems reserved
4 (4- to 6-ounce) skin-on red snapper fillets, ¾ to 1 inch thick
Lemon wedges
Ingredients
1 (6-inch) piece rustic Italian bread, cut into 8 slices
3 garlic cloves, peeled (1 whole, 2 sliced thin)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Salt and pepper
1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups water
1 cup dry white wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 sprigs fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley, stems reserved
4 (4- to 6-ounce) skin-on red snapper fillets, ¾ to 1 inch thick
Lemon wedges
Why This Recipe Works
Acqua pazza refers to the tradition in southern Italy of fishermen cooking a fresh catch in seawater; while the flavorings vary depending on what's on hand, it always includes tomato and oil. Modern recipes have a longer ingredient list—herbs, wine, and garlic are common, and they frequently feature more than one type of fish. We decided to stick with just one kind of fish and chose large red snapper fillets, which held up nicely during simmering and didn't fall apart. Canned diced tomatoes provided bits of texture and bright flavor throughout this dish. We also liked the addition of white wine, which contributed depth to the cooking liquid. Simmering herb sprigs in the broth provided an aromatic backnote. After just a 10-minute simmer, the snapper absorbed the heady flavor of the broth and the broth was enriched by the fish. With garlicky crostini to soak up the broth, dinner is served.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange bread slices in single layer on rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes, flipping slices halfway through baking. While bread is still hot, rub with garlic clove, drizzle with ¼ cup oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside for serving.
- Cook remaining 2 tablespoons oil and sliced garlic in 12-inch skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is pale golden brown, 9 to 12 minutes. Add onion, pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook over medium heat until onion is softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in water, wine, tomatoes, oregano sprigs, and parsley stems. Bring to simmer and cook until flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Season snapper with salt and pepper. Nestle snapper skin side down into broth and spoon some onions and tomatoes on top. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently until snapper flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and registers 140 degrees, about 10 minutes.
- Discard oregano sprigs and parsley stems. Place one crostini in each individual shallow serving bowl and set snapper fillets on top. Stir parsley into broth and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle broth over snapper and drizzle with extra oil. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and remaining crostini.
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