Tomato Recipes

Per serving: 324 calories, 27 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 22 g fat, 72 mg cholesterol, 5 g saturated fat, 167 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber

Recipe tested by Stephanie Witt Sedgwick; e-mail questions tofood@washpost.com

Grouper Baked With Fresh Tomato and Fennel Sauce in a Foil Tent

2 servings

This is one of my favorite ways to cook thick pieces of fish. Classic recipes for this method, called en papillote , use parchment paper, but I prefer aluminum foil. The fish cooks in the oven, encased in a tent and steaming in whatever liquid you have added -- in this case, a fresh tomato and fennel sauce made on the stove. The fish emerges moist and flavorful. The tomato will have almost melted. The fennel adds its own flavor, softened by the two stages of cooking. The combination is delicious. I've used grouper here, but any thick white fish can be substituted.

2 small fennel bulbs (or 1 large)

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for the foil

1 small onion (about 3 ounces), thinly sliced

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3/4 pound plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded, cut into 1/4-inch strips*

1/4 cup dry white wine

Two 6- to 8-ounce grouper fillets

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Have ready 2 pieces of foil, each about 12 by 16 inches.

Prepare the fennel: Using a knife, cut away the stalks that emerge from the bulb. Chop one of the fronds (the fern-like leaves) as you would dill, and set aside about 1 tablespoon's worth for a garnish. Discard the remaining fronds and stalks. Peel off the outer layer of the bulb and discard. Cut the bulb in half and cut each half into 1/4 -inch slices. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring every minute or so, for 2 to 3 minutes; then add the fennel. Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking until the vegetables soften and just begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook 2 to 3 minutes, then increase the heat to medium-high and add the wine. Cook, letting the wine evaporate, until the mixture looks moist but not watery, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Lightly grease the center of each piece of foil with additional oil. Place a grouper fillet on each piece of foil, add salt and pepper to taste, and top each piece of fish with half of the tomato-fennel mixture. Fold the foil to form a packet around each piece of fish. All edges of the packet should be folded to create a seal, but there should be an empty space, like a small tent, above the fillet. Place the packets on a rimmed baking sheet and bake; the time it takes will depend on the thickness of the fillets. A 1 1/2 - to 2-inch-thick fillet will take 18 to 20 minutes; smaller fillets may be ready in 15 minutes. To check, remove the baking sheet from the oven and open one of the packets, taking care to avoid the hot steam that escapes. The cooked fillet will look white and flake easily. If the fish is undercooked, refold the packet and continue cooking.

When the fish is ready, place each packet on a rimmed serving plate or in a shallow bowl, open the packets and bring to the table. (If desired, transfer the fish and vegetables to the plate before serving and discard the foil.) Garnish with a sprinkling of the reserved fennel fronds.

* NOTE: To peel plum tomatoes, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Have ready a bowl of ice water. Remove the stem from the tomato and cut an "X" in its bottom. Place in the boiling water for 10 or 15 seconds -- no longer. Use a slotted spoon to quickly transfer to the ice water. The skin should simply slip off.

Per serving: 358 calories, 38 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, 10 g fat, 63 mg cholesterol, 1 g saturated fat, 363 mg sodium, 10 g dietary fiber

Recipe tested by Stephanie Witt Sedgwick; e-mail questions tofood@washpost.com