Black Cod with Concentrated Tomatoes and Caramelized Fennel

This recipe originates from Scott Conant's famous Scarpetta Restaurant in the Meatpacking District. This dish has been featured on Good Morning America and in Scott's book, The Scarpetta Cookbook and is an absolute delight to make and enjoy!

A note about this recipe: As this recipe is fairly complex, it has been broken up into individual recipes. Be sure to read through the recipe in its entirety and pay strict attention to cook times.  Also note that much of this can be made well in advance. 

Recipe

Black Cod with Concentrated Tomatoes and Caramelized Fennel

 

For serving:

Total Time: 20 Minutes | Active Time: 20 Minutes | Serves Eight

Ingredients:

•  4 cod fillets, 5 to 6 ounces each
•  Kosher salt
•  Extra-virgin olive oil
•  1 T chopped fresh chives
•  Flaked sea salt
•  2 T fennel fronds
•  Braised Fennel (recipe below)
•  8 pieces Concentrated Tomatoes (recipe below)
•  Trucioleto Sauce (recipe below)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Heat a large, ovenproof saute pan over high heat. Season the flesh side of the cod well with kosher salt. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan and, when hot, add the cod, skin side down. Using a pastry brush, brush the top and sides of the cod with the tomato paint. Transfer the cod to the oven and cook for 8 minutes. Turn the cod over and brush a light coating of the paint onto the skin and the sides. Return the cod to the oven and cook until just cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes depending on thickness.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in another large, ovenproof saute pan over medium heat. Add the Braised Fennel in a single layer and cook undisturbed until beautifully browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the fennel slices over and place 2 Concentrated Tomatoes on each slice. Transfer the pan to the oven to heat through for 4 minutes.
4. Divide the fennel and tomato among serving plates. Sprinkle with the chives and a tiny pinch of flaked sea salt. Place the roasted cod, skin side up, on the tomatoes and fennel. Sprinkle each with a tiny pinch of flaked sea salt and fennel pollen. Top with a tiny handful of micro fennel. Spoon a few tablespoons of the Trucioleto Sauce on the plate around the fish, and drizzle with a little olive oil.

 

Chicken Reduction:

Cook Time: 4 Hours | Active Time: 10 Minutes | Serves Eight

Ingredients:

•  6 lbs chicken bones (some meat on them is fine)
•  3 T olive oil
•  2 sprigs fresh rosemary, bruised with the dull side of a chef's knife
•  1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
•  2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
•  1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
•  1 carrot, coarsely chopped
•  4 whole canned tomatoes, coarsely chopped
•  2 C dry white wine

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Rinse the chicken bones and pat them dry. Spread them out on two rimmed baking sheets in a single layer with a little room between the bones. Roast until golden brown, about 1 hour, flipping and turning the bones every 15 minutes or so.
3. In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the rosemary and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the celery, onion, and carrot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are well browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, and cook, stirring, until some of the juices evaporate, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook until almost all of it has evaporated. Add the chicken bones (with juices and drippings) to the stockpot, then add enough water to cover everything by about 2 inches (about 6 quarts). Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium to cook at a gentle simmer, stirring often to break up the bones and emulsify the fat, until the chicken is falling off the bones and the stock has a full flavor, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
4. Remove the chicken bones and strain the broth several times through a chinois or other fine-mesh strainer. If you want to make and use the reduction right away, spoon off any visible fat floating on top of the stock. Otherwise, chill the stock until the fat solidifies on top, and then scrape off and discard most of it.
5. Pour the defatted stock into a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat slightly so the stock is not boiling so furiously. As the stock simmers, some of it will remain on the sides of the saucepan; use a spoon or ladle to pour some of the stock over this to deglaze it. (This will further increase the intensity of the flavor.) Continue simmering until the stock has darkened, thickened, and reduced to about 4 cups, about 30 minutes.

The reduction can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

 

Tomato Paint:

Cook Time: 1 Hour | Active Time: 10 Minutes | Serves Eight

Ingredients:

•  Extra-virgin olive oil
•  1/3 C diced onion
•  3 cloves garlic, chopped
•  2 T capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
•  3 C canned tomatoes, drained and crushed
•  1 sprig fresh oregano
•  1 t fennel seeds, toasted and ground
•  Kosher salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and starting to brown around the edges. Add the garlic and capers and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the tomatoes and oregano. Stir well to combine, and bring to a simmer. Transfer to the oven and cook, stirring every 10 minutes, until reduced and quite thick, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir in the fennel seeds. Transfer to a food processor, puree until smooth, and season to taste with kosher salt.

The paint can be made 2 days ahead; cover and refrigerate.

 

Braised Fennel:

Cook Time: 40 Minutes | Active Time: 10 Minutes | Serves Eight

Ingredients:

•  1 large or 2 small bulbs fennel, trimmed
•  1 T extra-virgin olive oil
•  Pinch of crushed red pepper
•  Kosher salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice the fennel vertically through the core to get 4 slices, each 1/2 inch thick. (Reserve any remaining fennel for another use.)
3. In a roasting pan or baking dish just large enough to hold the fennel in a single layer, drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the crushed red pepper over the bottom. Lay the fennel planks in the pan and season lightly with salt. Add 1/4 cup water, cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, and bake until tender, about 30 minutes.

The fennel can be braised 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

 

Concentrated Tomatoes:

Cook Time: 3 Hours 45 Minutes | Active Time: 20 Minutes | Serves Eight

Ingredients:

•  Kosher salt
•  14 plum tomatoes
•  1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil, plus up to 3 cups if storing in oil
•  1 t chopped fresh oregano
•  1 t granulated sugar
•  Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat a oven to 275 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Fill a medium bowl with ice water. Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. In batches, blanch the tomatoes for about 45 seconds in the boiling water, then plunge immediately into the ice water. Peel the tomatoes, slice in half lengthwise, and squeeze gently to remove some of the seeds.
3. Toss the tomatoes with the olive oil to coat them liberally, then lay them cut side down on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the oregano and sugar over the tomatoes and season lightly with salt and black pepper, keeping in mind that the long cooking time will concentrate all of the flavors.
4. Bake the tomatoes until they are quite concentrated and turn a very deep red color; about 3 1/2 hours; you may need to drizzle additional olive oil over the tomatoes to keep them from browning. You are not trying to dry the tomatoes completely; they should look quite dry on the outside but should retain some moisture within. Let cool to room temperature.

The tomatoes can be refrigerated for up to 1 week. To keep them supple and flavorful, store them in the following way: Neatly stack them in layers in a plastic storage container, gently pressing them down to remove any air pockets. Cover completely with oil, cover, and refrigerate.

 

Trucioleto Sauce:

Cook Time: 45 Minutes | Active Time: 30 Minutes | Serves Eight

Ingredients:

•  2 T extra-virgin olive oil
•  1 C thinly sliced shallots
•  2 sprigs fresh thyme
•  1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
•  Pinch of crushed red pepper
•  2 T red wine vinegar, preferably Trucioleto (A red wine vinegar from Emilia-Romagna that is made from the grape's first pressing and is aged in oak. It's not expensive, and it's softer than most red wine vinegars.)
•  2 C Chicken Reduction (recipe above)

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 15 minutes. Add the thyme, garlic, and crushed red pepper, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar and cook until reduced to a glaze. Add the Chicken Reduction, bring to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes for the flavors to marry.
2. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Transfer to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and, with the blender running, slowly add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil until emulsified. Serve right away or let cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

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