Oven-Poached Halibut Provençale

I've never been to Provence, but I can certainly pretend I am there when I fix this recipe, uncork a bottle of dry French rose and eat al fresco on the patio on a sunny evening.


Oven-Poached Halibut Provençale
Serves six.
Adapted from Cooking Light.


1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped fennel bulb
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt, divided
4 cups diced tomato
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 (6-ounce) halibut fillets
1 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 450°.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add fennel, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in diced tomato; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in fresh basil and fresh parsley.

Spoon half of tomato mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Place fillets over tomato mixture. Pour wine into dish; sprinkle fillets with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spoon remaining tomato mixture over fillets. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until almost done.


Combine the breadcrumbs, olives, herbes de Provence, 1 teaspoon oil, pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over fillets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve immediately. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.