Braised Fish, Pot-Roast-Style

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds monkfish tail, halibut steak or fillet, or swordfish, as thick as possible and preferably in one piece
• Salt and pepper
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 pinch saffron, optional
• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 small fennel bulb, cut into chunks
• 1 pound potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (pimenton)
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 1/2 cups beef or chicken stock
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish.

1. Put the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. When it is hot, sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper, and add it to the pot.
3. Cook, undisturbed, until it is well browned, 5 or 6 minutes.
4. (If youre using halibut fillet, and it has skin, brown the nonskin side.)
5. Transfer it to a plate, browned side up.
6. Add the onion, thyme, saffron, carrots, fennel and potatoes; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
8. Add the tomato paste and smoked paprika, and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste darkens a bit, 2 or 3 minutes.
9. Add the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and let it bubble away until it almost disappears.
10. Add the stock, bring to a boil and let it bubble vigorously until the liquid reduces by about a third, about 10 minutes.
11. Adjust the heat so the mixture simmers; when the vegetables are nearly tender about 10 minutes later nestle the fish, browned side up, among the vegetables; keep the browned crust above the liquid.
12. Cook, undisturbed, until the fish and vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
13. Transfer the fish to a cutting board, and divide the vegetables among shallow bowls.
14. Slice the fish and put it on top of the vegetables.
15. Taste the cooking liquid, and adjust the seasoning; ladle it over all, garnish with the parsley and serve.

olive oil, monkfish tail, salt, onion, thyme, saffron, carrots, fennel bulb, potatoes, tomato paste, paprika, red wine, beef, fresh parsley

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016026 (may not work)