Tomato-Fennel Sauce

Use this to make Striped Bass with Braised Fennel. You can prepare this sauce a couple days ahead of time. In large saucepan, heat 1-2 TBL oil. Saute 1 diced onion, 2 cloves garlic (sliced), ½ tsp salt, pinch red pepper flakes and 0.4g saffron threads you’ve broken up with your fingers. Cook until onions…

Use this to make Striped Bass with Braised Fennel. You can prepare this sauce a couple days ahead of time. In large saucepan, heat 1-2 TBL oil. Saute 1 diced onion, 2 cloves garlic (sliced), ½ tsp salt, pinch red pepper flakes and 0.4g saffron threads you’ve broken up with your fingers. Cook until onions…

Use this to make Striped Bass with Braised Fennel. You can prepare this sauce a couple days ahead of time.

In large saucepan, heat 1-2 TBL oil. Saute 1 diced onion, 2 cloves garlic (sliced), ½ tsp salt, pinch red pepper flakes and 0.4g saffron threads you’ve broken up with your fingers. Cook until onions are translucent.

Chop and drain large can of San Marzano tomatoes (reserve juice in case sauce reduces too much). Add tomatoes, 1 tsp tomato paste, 1½ tsp ground fennel seed (I prefer freshly ground) and 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.

In small batches, process in blender. Drain liquid through strainer, stirring to get a lot of the solids through the strainer; the strainer should be fine enough to stop any seeds from getting into the sauce. The sauce gets its body from the pulp that makes it through the strainer.