Cod, Puttanesca-Style

Step 1: Season the fish with salt and pepper and dust it with flour. Pat off any excess flour.

Step 2: Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a skillet large enough to hold the fish in one layer. When the oil is shimmering, add the fish and cook until light golden brown, about 3 minutes a side.

Step 3: Remove the fish to a plate and cover loosely with a piece of foil.

Step 4: Add the onion and a pinch of salt to the oil in the skillet and cook until the onion is limp and starting to turn gold at the edges, about 6 minutes.

Step 5: Add the garlic and anchovies and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the paste has turned brick red, about 2 minutes.

Step 6: Add white wine and water and let it bubble up. Stir well. Add the cherry tomatoes (or chopped plum tomatoes), chopped olives, and a pinch of crushed red pepper.

Step 7: Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer the sauce for 10-20 minutes.

Step 8: Uncover the skillet and use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to smash any of the tomatoes that haven't collapsed (I don't do this, as I like the tomatoes to have body in this recipe).

Step 9: Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust. If you find that it's on the acidic side, add the optional sugar to decrees the sharpness.

Step 10: Nestle the fish into the sauce, spooning some sauce on top, and cover the pan. Simmer for about 8-10 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. *NOTE: I don't cook the fish any further, because find that the 1st fry in olive oil cooks the fish to perfection. This step would be necessary if your fish is thick, or if you didn't cook the fish to doneness at the first step.*

Step 11: Transfer the fish and sauce to a platter, shower with the chopped parsley, and serve.