Creamy Fish With Mushrooms and Bacon

Photo: Kerri Brewer for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.

Courtesy of the New York Times

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 20 min

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Ingredients

• 4 ounces bacon (4 to 8 slices, depending on thickness), diced

• 8 ounces cremini or white mushrooms, stems discarded and caps halved or quartered

• 1 large shallot, diced

• 1 cup canned peeled whole tomatoes

• ¼ cup white wine

• 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock

• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for fish and to taste

• ¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper, plus more for fish

• 5 tablespoons crème fraîche or heavy cream

• 5 thyme sprigs, plus ½ teaspoon thyme leaves, more for garnish

• 4 to 6 fillets black sea bass, fluke, tilefish, hake or other white fish (1¼ to 1½ pounds), skin removed

• Baguette slices or buttered toast, for serving

Direction

Step 1: In a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp and brown, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and shallot and cook until tender and deeply golden, 5 to 8 minutes.

Step 2: Crush the tomatoes by hand (or chop them roughly). Add them with their juices, the wine and the stock, scraping up the browned bits, and add the salt and pepper. Simmer briskly until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.

Step 3: Whisk in 4 tablespoons crème fraîche or cream, add the thyme sprigs and simmer 2 to 3 minutes more, until slightly reduced.

Step 4: Meanwhile, season the fillets well on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the broiler to high with a rack 6 inches from the heat.

Step 5: Lay the thicker fillets around the edge of the skillet on top of the sauce and the thinner ones in the center (a little overlap is fine). Spoon some of the mushroom mixture over the fish, dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon crème fraîche and sprinkle with thyme leaves.

Step 6: Broil until the sauce bubbles and the fish is just cooked through, 2 to 5 minutes for thin fillets or 6 to 10 for thick ones. Garnish with thyme and serve in shallow bowls with bread for dipping.

Notes

• Based on the French bonne femme style; inspired by chef Hugue Dufour of M. Wells in Long Island City, Queens.

• Any mild, white-fleshed fish works. Watch closely so it doesn’t overcook under the broiler.

Before you start

• You need a large oven-safe skillet.

• Dice the bacon and shallot and trim the mushrooms before you start.