Poached Fish in a Buttery Tomato-Fennel Broth

Hello world! I am so excited to officially be kicking off this brand-spanking new website – My Kitchen Little – with our first ever recipe post: Poached Fish in a Buttery Tomato-Fennel Broth. This is an utterly simple recipe that carries such an elegance with it; it’s perfect for a simple weeknight supper with your family, or for entertaining (I’ve used it for both). I love the idea of serving this tomato-poached fish family-style, and just setting down the whole pan of steaming goodness right onto the table, letting everyone dig in.

Alternatively, you can do what I’ve shown in a couple of the photos here and plate it up individually. No natter how you shake it, this simple, gorgeous, 5-ingredient poached fish recipe is – if you’re anything like me – one you will come back to time and time again.

A tangle of aromatic veggies, tomatoes bursting with sweet juices, and tender cod fillets come together in a magical 5-ingredient (I don’t count salt, pepper and water as ingredients, you know?) one-pan meal that will knock your socks off.

If you’re interested, here is the pan pictured in these photos, and the item I use more than any other in my kitchen. It’s incredibly affordable, just as durable as the more expensive brands and I can’t recommend it enough!

What is poaching?

I’ve not always been a poacher of things. For whatever reason, it’s been a method of cookery that has evaded me. But no more – after making this incredibly delicious 5-ingredient tomato poached fish (3 times in the last two weeks, in fact) I can now say with complete sincerity that I am a poaching convert. It’s just such a wonderfully clean and simple way to cook, and it can be applied to other proteins and even vegetables as well. But to me, poached fish is where it’s at.

How to Perfectly Poach Fish

Poaching is essentially a technique that involves submerging something (in this case fish and a few key veggies) in some manner of liquid whose temperature falls within the range of 140 degrees F to 180 degrees F, and cooking it via the heat in said liquid. The key is to allow the heat from the liquid to transfer into your foods, gently and very effectively cooking them throughout.

Poaching’s gentle nature helps to preserve the integrity of your foods, “it produces no agitation,” and is particularly effective at maintaining the tenderness of delicate items, like fish. In our Tomato-Poached Fish recipe below, we’ll share just how we go about achieving the idea texture and flavors of the fish by poaching in a luscious, buttery tomato and fennel broth.

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