Senegalese Lemon Braised Fish

Ingredients

• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 whole large yellow onions
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 6 whole whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 whole fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 1 whole whole habanero or bird's eye chili (optional)
• 1.5 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 whole skin-on firm white fish fillets (sea bass, grouper, or snapper), 6 oz each
• ½ cup green olives, pitted
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro or parsley, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Slice 4 large yellow onions into thin half-moons, about 1/8-inch thick — you want them uniform so they cook evenly. Set aside in a bowl.

2. 2

   Juice enough fresh lemons to get 0.5 cup of juice. Whisk together the lemon juice with 3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard in a small bowl until smooth. This is your marinade base.

3. 3

   Pat your 4 fish fillets completely dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with 1.5 teaspoons of sea salt and 0.5 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Set them on a plate skin-side up.

4. 4

   Pour 0.75 cup of extra-virgin olive oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven and set it over medium heat. Let it warm for 1 minute until it shimmers slightly.

5. 5

   Add all the sliced onions to the hot oil. Stir gently with a wooden spoon, making sure the onions are coated. You'll hear a steady, gentle sizzle. Cook undisturbed for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn golden and begin to caramelize at the edges — they should smell deeply sweet and oniony.

6. 6

   Pour the lemon-mustard mixture over the caramelized onions and stir to combine. Add 6 whole peeled garlic cloves, 4 fresh thyme sprigs, 2 bay leaves, and 1 whole habanero or bird's eye chili if you want heat (leave it whole for gentler spice, or pierce it if you want more fire). Stir well and let it simmer for 2 minutes — the sauce will smell pungent and aromatic.

7. 7

   Nestle the 4 seasoned fish fillets skin-side up into the sauce, spacing them so they're not overlapping. Don't stir — let the sauce come up around the fish without disturbing the skin. Scatter 0.5 cup of green olives over and around the fish.

8. 8

   Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot with a lid or foil. Braise gently for 12-15 minutes — the fish is done when the flesh flakes easily when pressed with a fork and the skin is just beginning to crisp slightly. The internal temperature should reach 145°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a fillet.

9. 9

   Remove the pot from heat. Fish out and discard the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and whole chili (if you used one) with tongs or a slotted spoon.

10. 10

    Carefully divide the fish and onion sauce among four shallow bowls, making sure each person gets one fillet, plenty of caramelized onions, some olives, and the brasing liquid. Scatter fresh cilantro or parsley over the top and serve immediately with crusty bread or over rice to soak up the tangy, mustard-forward sauce.

Tools you’ll need

• large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (5-quart capacity)
• wooden spoon
• small bowl
• instant-read thermometer
• slotted spoon or tongs
• shallow serving bowls
• sharp knife for slicing onions

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