Halibut with Barbecue Tomato Sauce and Polenta

The recipe for the "sauce" on this fish dish was super intriguing to me. Honestly, I wasn't sure it would work. But I fixed it last weekend for some friends and family and it was a big hit. I adapted it slightly--the grape tomatoes the original called for really didn't work well. So I used a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes I had on hand. And it has uses far beyond topping fish. It's a fresh take on more traditional barbecue sauce that you could serve alongside pork (maybe even on a pulled pork sandwich), chicken or grilled vegetables.

Halibut with Barbecue Tomato Sauce and Polenta
Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray
Serves four.

1 pint grape tomatoes (I added a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and will simply substitute for grape tomatoes in the future.)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Four 1-inch-thick halibut steaks (6-8 ounces each) (To save money, use any white flaky fish. Mine was delicious with orange roughy fillets.)
4 slices center-cut bacon or black pepper bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Cooked polenta to serve

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast until charred, about 15 minutes.

Season fish with salt and pepper and olive oil and roast in oven at 400 degrees for ten minutes or until done.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 3 minutes. Drain off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, brown sugar, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Add the tomatoes.

Top the fish with the tomato sauce and serve with the polenta.