Skillet-Braised Pollock with Vegetables

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather everything you need for the braised pollock with vegetables. Use large carrots and onions, or several small ones. When picking out pollock, look for fish that's undamaged and not caked in ice. The weight given is for young zucchini; if yours have thick skin and large seeds, use about 30% more. Any neutral oil will work.

2. Step 2:

   

   Prep the fish. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 8 hours. Clean out the insides, remove the head and fins, and rinse well under running water. Blot the fish dry with paper towels. Cut the pollock into serving pieces about 2 inches wide. Season with salt and spices.

3. Step 3:

   

   Peel and rinse the onion and carrot. Grate the carrot on the coarse side of a box grater or cut it into thin matchsticks. Cut the onion into small cubes. Cut this way, the vegetables cook faster.

4. Step 4:

   

   If the skin gives easily when you press it with a fingernail, you don't need to peel the zucchini. If the skin is tough, peel it off with a vegetable peeler or knife. Remove the seeds and trim off the ends, rinse the zucchini under running water, and pat it dry with towels. Cut it into cubes slightly larger than the onion. It should hold its shape in the finished dish and not fall apart.

5. Step 5:

   

   For the tomato liquid, stir together the water, tomato paste, and sugar. I'm not big on a sweet note in dishes like this, so I skip the sugar — plus all the vegetables lend their own sweetness.

6. Step 6:

   

   Use a heavy-bottomed skillet with high sides, at least 10 inches across — it needs to hold all the vegetables and fish. Heat the skillet and carefully pour in the vegetable oil. Since carrots take longer than onions, start with them: cook over medium heat, stirring now and then, for about 2 minutes.

7. Step 7:

   

   Once the carrot starts to soften, add the chopped onion and cook another 3 minutes over medium heat. Be sure to keep stirring so the vegetables cook evenly and don't dry out.

8. Step 8:

   

   Add the zucchini to the skillet. Stir and cook another 3 minutes over medium heat.

9. Step 9:

   

   Dredge the fish pieces in flour and tuck them into the skillet among the vegetables. The flour helps the fish hold its shape and thickens the tomato liquid.

10. Step 10:

    

    Pour the tomato liquid over the fish and vegetables. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 20–25 minutes. Five minutes before the end, taste it and add the bay leaf and allspice. Add more salt if needed. Serve the pollock garnished with fresh herbs.