Recipes Dinner Seafood Main Course Fish Main Course Pescado con Sofrito Be the first to rate & review! In this recipe for Pescado con Sofrito, chef Katie Button uses an aromatic, slow-cooked sofrito to add vibrant flavors to an otherwise quick dinner of white wine-poached white fish fillets. Button often makes her sofrito – one of the foundations of Spanish cuisine – in advance, simmering tomatoes, onion, and garlic until they are thick, caramelized, and deeply flavorful. The key to a tasty sofrito is to use ripe tomatoes (any variety will do, making this a great way to use up overripe tomatoes). This recipe makes more sofrito than you need, but you can spoon the extra into an ice cube tray and freeze it until you can use it for another fish dinner, or to season a pot of stew, soup, or beans and rice. By Katie Button Katie Button Restaurant: Cúrate (Read a review) Location: Asheville, NC Why She's Amazing: Because she's channeling the skills she gained through her envy-inducing background to make authentic Spanish tapas. background: Internship at El Bulli (/sites/default/files/oses, Spain); Jean-Georges (New York City), The Bazaar by José Andrés (Los Angeles) Quintessential Dish: Fried eggplant with honey and rosemary How She Got into the Food Business: Her mother was the chef-owner of a catering business in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. Alternative Career: Button was about to start a PhD program with the National Institutes of Health before dropping out to pursue a culinary career. On El Bulli: After a stint as a server, Button later returned to do a seven-month internship in the pastry kitchen. "We made something like 50,000 chocolates that season," she says. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 2, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Whitney Anderson Active Time: 1 hr 10 mins Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Servings: 2 Ingredients For the sofrito: 1 ½ pounds ripe medium-size ripe red tomatoes (any variety) 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or other neutral-flavored oil, or more if needed 2 tablespoons olive oil, or more if needed 2 cups finely chopped yellow onions 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic For the fish: 1 tablespoon grapeseed or other neutral-flavored oil 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 skin-on white fish fillets (6 ounces each) such as sea bass, tilefish, or cod Kosher salt 1 cup white wine 1 cup fish stock Directions Make the sofrito: Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Place a box grater in a large bowl. Grate tomatoes, cut side against the coarse side of the grater, until only the skin remains; discard the skin. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of grated tomatoes with juices. Set aside. In a large skillet, heat grapeseed and olive oils over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown, adding more oil if the onions are sticking, about 15 minutes. Mix garlic into onions. Add grated tomato and cook, stirring occasionally at first, then often during the last 15 minutes or so, until liquid has evaporated, mixture is reduced by 3/4 and is deeply red and caramelized, and you begin to see a separation of oil from the vegetables, 30 to 40 minutes. Add a splash of water to skillet to loosen any bits from the bottom of the pan and stir until evaporated. Let cool. Set 1/4 cup sofrito aside for the fish. Divide remaining 3/4 cup sofrito into smaller portions in freezer-safe containers or an ice-cube tray. Refrigerate or freeze for later use. Make the fish: Heat both oils in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season fish with salt. Add fish to skillet skin-side down. Cook until skin is crisp and lightly browned, using a spatula to occasionally press fish to help skin brown evenly, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn fish over and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, then transfer fish to a plate (it will not be fully cooked). Add 1/4 cup sofrito to skillet and stir until heated through, about 30 seconds. Add white wine and fish stock and cook until sauce has reduced by half and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add fish skin-side up, and simmer until fish is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Divide fish and sauce among shallow bowls and drizzle with good extra-virgin olive oil and top with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Rate It Print