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Braised palombo steaks in a vivid tomato and pea sauce, served in a shallow terracotta dish with fresh parsley on top

Palombo in Umido: Braised Fish with Peas and Tomato

Shark steaks braised with soffritto, white wine, tomato, and peas until the sauce is clean-tasting and the fish flakes easily.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course (Dinner / Lunch)
Cuisine: Regional (Le Marche, Abruzzo)
Calories: 196
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the soffritto and sauce
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion medium; finely chopped
  • 1 carrot small; finely diced
  • 1 stalk celery finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 120 ml dry white wine
  • 400 g canned whole peeled tomatoes crushed by hand
  • 120 ml fish stock or water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 tsp chili flakes optional
  • salt and black pepper to taste
For the fish and finish
  • 600 g palombo (smooth-hound shark) steaks cut into 4 pieces
  • 250 g frozen or fresh peas
  • 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped

Method
 

  1. Heat the olive oil in a 30 cm / 12-inch braising pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until softened and pale gold.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Season the palombo steaks with salt and pepper. Nestle them into the pan and sear for about 2 minutes per side, just enough to lightly color the surface.
  4. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  5. Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, chili flakes if using, and the fish stock. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  6. Partially cover the pan and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, spooning sauce over the fish occasionally, until it's nearly opaque throughout.
  7. Stir in the peas and cook uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes more, until they're bright green and tender and the fish flakes easily at 145 F / 63 C.
  8. Remove the bay leaf, stir in the parsley, and adjust the salt. Rest off heat for 2 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • Buy palombo steaks the day you plan to cook them, they turn soft quickly.
  • Don't skip searing the fish first, it builds flavor in the sauce.
  • Simmer gently, a hard boil toughens the fish.
  • Taste the sauce before adding fish, salt levels vary by canned tomato brand.