319. BROILED DOGFISH with ONIONS, TOMATOES, and BACON

makes 4 servings

time: 30 minutes


2 slices bacon, minced
1 medium-size onion, chopped
2 cups chopped fresh, ripe tomatoes (canned are fine; drain first)
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 to 1 1/2 lb. dogfish fillets, cut in half
2 tablespoons olive oil

BUYING TIP: The best dogfish is always iced immediately after the catch, and fillets are kept ice cold from processor to retailer. Well-handled dogfish has little aroma, or may be slightly sweet-smelling; stick to those, rather than trying to deal with the stink of ammonia.

NOTE: Other common names for dogfish are sand shark, nurse shark, grayfish, rock salmon, and rock cod.


Cook the bacon, stirring, over medium heat until it begins to crips; remove it with a slotted spoon. Cook the onion in the bacon fat, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to liquefy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the basil and half the parsley, stir, taste for salt and pepper, and turn off the heat. Preheat the broiler.

Brush a shallow baking pan with half the olive oil and lay the fillets in the pan. Brush them with the remaining oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place under the broiler. Broil for 2 minutes; the fillets will not begin to brown. Spoon the tomato mixture onto the fillets and return to the broiler. Broil 2 more minutes and serve, garnished with the remaining parsley.

ALTERNATIVE FISH FOR THIS RECIPE: Blackfish, cod, grouper, haddock, mackerel, Atlantic or Pacific pollock, rockfish, sablefish, red snapper, striped bass, tilefish, or wolffish. Adjust cooking time accordingly.


courtesy of: Fish: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking, by Mark Bittman. New York: MacMillan, 1994, pp. 121-122