Provencal Fish with Fennel and White Wine Recipe

As the summer warms, we start to look for summer dishes that are lighter and quicker to prepare than many of the stews and roasts of winter.  Provencal cuisine is full of dishes like these, often combining the bounty of the Mediterranean Sea with local herbs and vegetables.  This Provencal fish with fennel and white wine recipe is the result of tinkering over last summer.  The recipe listed below is perhaps the simplest version, but it's easy to adjust the flavors by bringing in other aromatic vegetables or changing around the assortment of herbs.  In any of its forms, it's a great pairing with the rich, tangy and anise-laced flavors of Grenache Blanc, whether as a single varietal wine (like the 2008 Grenache Blanc, pictured right) or as a part of a white Rhone blend.

This recipe also can be found in our Spring 2010 Newsletter.

Ingredients:
1 lb. meaty, flaky white fish fillets (like cod)
1 bulb fennel, sliced
1 shallot, sliced
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 small plum tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 large sprig parsley, chopped
fresh-ground black pepper
salt

Directions:

• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan.
• Add the fennel and shallots and saute for a few minutes until they start to soften.
• Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add wine and turn heat up to medium-high. Boil for 3 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and boil for 2 minutes.
• Submerge fillets in bottom of saucepan; add salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover, reduce heat to low and cook until fish flakes easily -- about 10 minutes.
• Add lemon juice, and correct seasonings.
• Ladle into bowls, top with parsley, and serve with crusty bread for dipping.

Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a main dish.