Fish Poached in Tomato Water
Fish poached in tomato water sounds pretentiously cheffy. Then again, it’s accurate. If I called it “fish poached in tomato juice” you might envision fish cooked in bloody mary mix, or worse. So fish poached in tomato water it is.
Tomato water entered my culinary life via canning. Tomatoes are full of water, and this water must be expelled before processing the tomatoes. Eugenia Bone, author of Well-Preserved, suggests canning this tomato water along with the tomatoes.
Dutifully following Eugenia’s advice, I found myself with an indispensable ingredient.
Having said this, I realize some people will never preserve at home. Take heart: today’s recipe requires nothing more than a few tomatoes and some warm water. And the fish, of course, but we’ll discuss that later.
First, tomato water.
Peel your tomatoes by dropping them into boiling water.
Some people cut a shallow X on the bottom of their tomatoes before dropping them into the water. This makes peeling easier. Frankly, I always forget to.
The tomatoes are ready when they rise to the top of the pan (or measuring cup). I drop mine into a bowl to cool. If drought isn’t an issue where you live, said bowl may be filled with icewater. I don’t have a photograph of this. Instead, I give you an outtake from the cherry vodka post.
While the tomatoes cool–a matter of minutes–place a strainer over a large bowl. Set up a cutting board. Have a knife that easily slices tomatoes. It’s a wise idea to have a roll of paper towels handy. Now is not the time to wear your new white silk shirt.
Have a dish or bowl handy for the squeezed tomatoes. Depending on the tomatoes, they may disintegrate completely in the squeezing. Others hold up, leaving you with an intact, seedless dry half. (Albeit slightly mangled.) If you are not canning, these tomatoes may be used in the usual ways: in salads, sauces, and so on. You can also freeze them.
Above, tomatoes that survived the strainer. Below, tomatoes that did not.
Now, holding a tomato half over the strainer, remove seeds with your clean fingers. Rub the tomato gently against the strainer to expel the liquid. You’ll soon find a working rhythm. Place the spent tomato half into the bowl.
You now have tomato water. Use immediately, can it (safely! see discussion in recipes, below), freeze it, or prepare fish shallow poached in tomato water.
I’ve made fish poached in tomato water using cod and snapper filets. Each time I had about quarter cup of tomato water. The seasonings were the usual suspects seen in fish cookery–white wine, butter, olive oil, garlic.
The second time I cooked fish poached in tomato water I tossed in a few nasturtium buds from our backyard. Lacking these, capers are a fine substitute.
Fish preparation is a matter of minutes. The filets took about four minutes a side.
This being tomato season, I went overboard and served the fish with a tomato salad, but you don’t have to.
A final note concerning amounts. Tomatoes do not come in standard sizes, making tomato water yields difficult to assess. Eight ounce tomatoes–that’s 250 grams–yield roughly 1/4 cup, or 60 milliters, of tomato water. See the recipe, below, for further discussion of tomato water yields and how I cooked with them.
Fish Poached in Tomato Water
prep time: 20-30 minutes
yield: feeds one, but easily scaled upward
Please read notes, below, for discussion of variations, canning safety, and canning resources.
1-3 fresh, juicy tomatoes, yielding approximately 1/4 cup/60 ml tomato water
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sweet butter
2-3 tablespoons dry white wine or Vermouth
1 clove garlic, crushed, peeled, and minced (optional)
1-2 white fish filets weighing approximately 1 pound/454 grams
2-3 tablespoons dry white wine or Vermouth (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon capers or nasturtium buds, washed and lightly chopped (optional)
Peel the tomatoes:
You can peel tomatoes one of two ways. The first is to heat a pot of water on the stove. The second is to heat water in the microwave. Either way, the water should be just boiling.
Cut an X on the bottom of each tomato, or not, and lower into the water. A spider or slotted spoon is helpful here.
If you are peeling more than one tomato, do not crowd the pot. The tomatoes will rise to the top of the pan when ready. Using the spider or slotted spoon, scoop the tomatoes into a bowl. If you are impatient, you can fill the bowl with ice, but the tomatoes cool quickly without it.
While the tomatoes cool, set a fine strainer over a bowl. Prepare a cutting board and knife. Have a bowl for spent tomato halves to hand, along with a roll of paper towels.
Once the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, halve them and remove the stem ends. Now, holding a half over the strainer, remove seeds with a clean finger. Press tomato against the strainer and press gently to expel liquid. Some tomatoes will distintegrate completely. Others leave you with a spent but useful tomato half. Place these in a waiting bowl or other vessel. Continue–this doesn’t take long-until you have about 1/4 cup of tomato water.
I believe in cleaning up as you go. Then again, if I don’t, my kitchen rapidly becomes a disaster area. If you share my predicament, clean up, leaving your tomato water nearby.
Cook the fish:
Place a saute pan on the stove. Turn the burner to low heat. I used a 12 inch/30 cm stainless steel pan I’ve had forever. Add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter melts, add the wine and garlic. Turn heat up a little. Let the garlic “melt,” as Elizabeth David says, meaning let it cook a bit without browning. If garlic browns, turn the heat down.
Add the tomato water and capers/nasturtium pods, if using. If you think the pan needs additional liquid, add more wine, some water, or a little mild broth.
Add the fish to the pan. Salt and pepper it. Adjust heat, if necessary, so the liquid simmers gently. We don’t want a wild boil here. The fish should cook gently for 3-5 minutes a side. Cover with a lid if you wish. I don’t, as even after years of cooking fish I remain a slightly nervous fish cook.
After 3-5 minutes, turn the fish over. You’ll know it’s time when fish whitens and flesh firms up. Yes, many of you know this. But many people don’t, and nobody ever bothers to tell them, and that’s why people are terrified of cooking fish.
Flip the fish–it’s okay to help matters along with your clean hands, but be careful around the hot pan–and cook for another few minutes. The fish is done when a fork or other cooking implement slides through it easily. Fish will flake and look perfectly white. It will look and smell done. Trust your instincts. If you are doubtful, move fish off burner to check for doneness. Better to have underdone fish and cook it a little longer than the opposite.
Serve fish poached in tomato broth over rice, alongside farro, or with a small pasta like orzo. Or plate it alone and serve a baguette alongside, with a green salad.
Fish poached in tomato water keeps, refrigerated, up to two days. It freezes up to two months.
Tomato water keeps, refrigerated up to five days. It freezes up to six months. To water bath tomato water, see instructions, below.
Notes:
I made this dish in July, when heirloom tomatoes were available. The tomatoes weighed 7-8 ounces/218-250 grams each, yielding roughly 1/4 cup, or 60 ml liquid.
Those wishing to avoid alcohol may substitute light vegetable or chicken broth. Or use water.
Because tomato water is cooked, fish poached in tomato water may be prepared year-round using winter tomatoes or best-quality canned tomatoes. In a pinch, the juices from canned tomatoes may substitute for the tomato water. The dish will be more robust, but it’s still good. The juices from canned tomatoes work especially well with beef, bone-in chicken, and thicker pork cuts. I’d also try it with salmon and shrimp.
Spent tomato halves may be frozen. Use them as you would any fresh tomato: in salads, soups, sauces, or rice.
Please read this link to safely can tomato water. Tomato water must be canned in either a water bath canner or a pressure canner. You must follow canning instructions or you risk falling seriously ill or even dying. Having scared the hell out of you, know that canning is perfectly safe provided you follow instructions.
Great canning resources:
Cathy Barrow: Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry
Eugenia Bone: Well-Preserved
Finally, tomato water is an excellent marinade, either by itself or as an ingredient. Bear in mind that tomatoes, like lemons, are acidic, and left too long, may denature foods, which is a fancy way of saying they can cause mushiness. So tomato water marinades should be used for a few hours rather than overnight.
