Roasted Striped Bass with Fennel, Tomatoes, and Oil-Cured Olives

Ingredients

• 0.3 cup all purpose flour ()
• 1 pound cherry tomatoes halved
• 2 cups cooking wine dry white
• 2 large fennel bulbs fresh with fronds attached, trimmed; bulbs quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced; fronds chopped and reserved for garnish
• 6 large garlic cloves divided crushed peeled
• 0.5 cup oil-cured olives black pitted halved
• 1 cup olive oil extra-virgin ()
• 0.8 cup parsley fresh italian divided chopped
• 3 cups onion red halved lengthwise thinly sliced
• 3.8 pound bass fillets whole cleaned

Equipment

• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• aluminum foil

Directions

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheatto 400°F. Boil wine in medium saucepanuntil reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and reserve.
3. Generously brush 18x12x1-inch bakingsheet with olive oil. Arrange fennel slices insingle layer on prepared baking sheet. Topwith onion slices in single layer.
4. Sprinklewith salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Drizzle 4 tablespoons oil over vegetables.
6. Rinse fish inside and out; pat dry withpaper towels.
7. Sprinkle fish inside and outwith salt and freshly ground black pepper.Lightly dust outside of fish with flour.
8. Pourenough olive oil into extra-large skillet toreach depth of 1/4 inch; heat over medium-highheat until oil is very hot. Workingwith 1 fish at a time, add fish to skillet andfry until golden crust forms on skin, about3 minutes per side. Carefully place fishatop vegetables on baking sheet. Gentlystuff cavity of each fish with 2 crushedgarlic cloves, then 1/4 cup chopped parsley.
9. Pour reserved wine over vegetableson baking sheet.
10. Roast fish uncovered until vegetablesbegin to soften, 35 to 40 minutes. Scattertomato halves and olives around fish; bakeuntil fish is just cooked through, about15 minutes longer.
11. Transfer fish to largeplatter; cover with foil to keep warm.Increase oven temperature to 475°F.Continue to bake vegetables uncovereduntil tender and tomatoes are very softand beginning to color in spots, about 15minutes longer.
12. Arrange vegetable mixture aroundfish on platter.
13. Drizzle with 2 tablespoonsoil.
14. Sprinkle chopped fennel fronds overfish and serve.
15. An Italian Primitivo (a redvarietal similar to Zinfandel) would be great withthe fish and the pasta. Donatella prefers Primitivodi Manduria, a fruity, spicy style of red producedin Manduria, which is a city (as well as an area) insouthern Puglia. She suggests the 2007 Feudi di SanGregorio “Ognissole” Primitivo di Manduria (Italy,$18), a balanced wine with aromas of cherries andstrawberries and a spicy finish. If you can't findthat specific bottle, look for the 2007 Vinosia Salento
16. Primitivo (Italy, $10), a juicy, fragrant red winewith honey notes.
17. Bon Appétit