This tomato poached fish recipe with chili oil and herbs will quickly become your favorite fish recipe! For the ultimate experience, serve it on a bed of brothy couscous.
Table of Contents
I recently discovered Alison Roman and have become obsessed with her recipes. First I made her famous Stew recipe. And then I made it again that same week because it was so good.
Next I tried out a delicious salmon recipe with soy sauce & scallions from her new cookbook, Nothing Fancy. Then, her “Stew Two” recipe featuring spicy white beans and broccoli rabe. Which, once again was amazing.
And then, when I didn’t think her recipes could get any better, I tried this one – Tomato Poached Fish with Chile Oil & Herbs.
O.M.G.
I made this recipe three times in one week.
And today, I’m sharing this amazing, easy poached fish recipe with you, with a few tweaks that I made along the way.
Changes I made to her original recipe:
- Used additional oil while crisping up the shallots and garlic so that there was extra to drizzle over the cooked fish at the end. I also found that it took longer to brown the shallots and garlic than the original recipe stated.
- Swapped in aleppo pepper for the red pepper flakes to add a bit more sweetness and extra level of flavor.
- Omitted the mint and cut back on the amount of cilantro used for topping the cooked fish.
- Used chicken stock in place of water when making the sauce to add in some extra flavor.
- Served it all up on a bed of couscous. I found it to be the perfect serving vehicle that soaks up all that yummy tomato broth.
Reader
Love
I’ve made this 4-5 times and each time everyone is surprised at how good it is. I love that i can pre make a lot of it and put it together quickly. This time i used cod vrs. Halibut. I love them both. We have fresh arugula from the garden . To compliment it i served “j” Pinot Gris to make it a great meal. You can’t go wrong if you are out impress.
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Ingredient notes
- Fish – I used cod. However, you can also use salmon, flounder, tilapia or halibut.
- Olive Oil
- Garlic + Shallot
- Aleppo Pepper Flakes – Or, red pepper flakes. This is opitonal
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Chicken Broth – Or, bone broth.
- Fish Sauce – Fish sauce is sold in the asian foods aisle of major grocery stores. This is my favorite brand. Or, try one of these fish sauce substitutes.
- Cilantro
- Limes
- Salt + Pepper
How to make tomato poached fish
Step 1
Make the chili oil
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
- Add garlic and shallots and cook until golden, 10-12 minutes.
- Add red-pepper flakes and cook for a few seconds. Remove the garlic-chili oil to a small bowl.
Step 2
Add the tomatoes
- Add a bit of the chili oil to a skillet and cook the tomatoes until saucy, 5-6 minutes.
- Add fish sauce and chicken broth. Cook 3-5 minutes, until thickened.
Step 3
Poach the fish
- Season the fish with salt and pepper and place in the sauce.
- Cover and cook until the fish is cooked through, about 6 minutes.
Step 4
Serve
- Serve over couscous and drizzle with the chili oil and crispy shallots.
- Squeeze lime over the top and sprinkle with cilantro.
- Enjoy!
FAQs
You can use almost any fish in this poached fish recipe. Cod, fluke, flounder, tilapia, halibut, salmon and trout are all great options.
Bring your poaching liquid (in this case, it’s the tomato broth) to a low simmer (not boiling) over medium-low heat, and cook the fish until it’s opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
The time it takes for fish to poach will depend on its thickness. Thinner pieces of fish like tilapia or flounder will poach in about 4 minutes. Thicker pieces like cod or halibut, will cook in about 6 minutes.
Cook poached fish to a temperature of 140 degrees. Without a thermometer, you can test for doneness by seeing if it flakes easily with a fork and is opaque throughout.
Erin’s wine pairings
- Sauvignon Blanc has a good acidity to it that will stand up to the tomatoes. Pinot Gris is a another white wine option.
- Good red wine options are Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.
- More → 8 BEST wine pairings with fish.
More healthy seafood recipes
Did you try this tomato poached fish?
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Full Recipe
Tomato Poached Fish
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
- 1 large shallot (thinly sliced into rings)
- 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes (halved)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 ½ teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 ¼ pounds cod (cut into 4 equal pieces (salmon, flounder, tilapia and halibut also work))
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- 2 limes (halved)
Couscous:
- 2 cups israeli couscous
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ¼ cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Heat ⅓ cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallots and cook, stirring occasionally until they become golden, 10-12 minutes. Add red-pepper flakes and cook for a few seconds. Remove the oil to a small bowl.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the couscous and cook, stirring, until toasted and light golden brown, about 7 minutes. Add the broth, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Set aside until ready to serve.
- Using the same skillet that you made the shallot oil in, add 1 TBSP of the reserved shallot oil and the tomatoes to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they become saucy, 5-6 minutes.
- Add fish sauce and chicken broth. Cook 3 – 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper.
- Season the fish with salt and pepper and place the pieces in the sauce. Cover the skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the fish is opaque and just cooked through, about 6 minutes, flipping halfway through. Note: Thinner pieces of fish like tilapia or flounder will take less time.
- To serve, divide couscous between four bowls. Place a piece of fish on each and spoon over the tomato broth mixture. Sprinkle on the crispy shallots and garlic and drizzle with the chile oil. Squeeze half a lime over each bowl and sprinkle with cilantro. Enjoy!
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2020. It was updated in 2024 to add new photographs. The tomato poached fish recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
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