Reed Hearon's Sea Bass With Tomatoes And Onions

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
2. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the onions, 1/4 c. parsley, the anchovies, garlic and red-pepper flakes. Saute/fry till the onions begin to soften, about 5 to 7 min. Stir in the tomatoes and wine.
3. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper, then place in the skillet. Spoon the vegetables in the skillet atop the fish and bring the liquid to a simmer on the stove.
4. Cover the skillet and bake in the oven till the fish is opaque in the center, about 12 min. Transfer the fish to dinner plates.
5. To make the sauce, stir remaining parsley into the mix in the skillet. Boil on top of the stove till reduced slightly, about 2 min. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over the fish. Serve immediately.
6. This recipe yields 4 servings.
7. Comments: Reed's brilliant new San Francisco restaurant, Black Cat, has been a raging success since the day it opened. I think it's great. For this dish, it's important which the tomatoes be ripe. Buy them ahead and let them ripen on the kitchen counter 2 to 3 days before using.