Oven-Braised Fish with Tarragon, Leeks and White Wine

Clean flavors, thoughtful technique, and impeccable ingredients doing the heavy lifting in this oven-braised fish from Chef James London. Gently brined white fish is layered with leek, garlic, Castelvetrano olives and whole sprigs of tarragon, then braised in white wine and stock until just tender. The result is light yet deeply savory, with a brothy base made for tearing into with warm, crusty bread. It’s elegant but unfussy—coastal cooking at its most refined and comforting.

Ocean-Style Fish Brine (5% salinity)

1 liter cold water

50 g kosher salt

2 lb white fish fillets, boneless and skinless (ideally: halibut, grouper, black cod, wreckfish, tilefish, or striped bass)

1 large leek, tops and outer layers removed, sliced on the bias (feel free to use spring onion if leeks are not available)

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Small handful pitted Castelvetrano olives, whole

10 g fresh tarragon, whole, on stem

3 Tbsp high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing

½ cup light-bodied white wine

1 cup flavorful stock (chicken, dashi, fish, or veggie)

Zest of 1 lemon, then lemon cut and juiced

Freshly cracked black pepper

Crusty bread (baguette or sourdough), for serving

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Brine the fish: Dissolve salt in cold water and submerge fish for 4 hours under refrigeration. Rinse fish under cold water and place on a sheet pan with a rack to temper at room temperature for around 1-2 hours.

Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 3 Tbsp olive oil. Add leek and garlic, season with 1 Tbsp of kosher salt. Sweat gently, stirring occasionally, until softened and aromatic but not browned.

Deglaze the pan by adding the white wine and reducing by about half. Pour in the stock and let simmer for about 3 minutes, reducing slightly.

To assemble, lay the fish directly into the Heritage Fish Baker. You want to place what was the skin side down. Lay tarragon stems on top of the fish and sprinkle the olives over and around. Hit it with a few tablespoons of high-quality olive oil. Cover with the Heritage Fish Baker lid and place in the oven.

After 10 minutes, remove from the oven, uncover, and baste the fish with the cooking liquid using a spoon. Return to the oven uncovered for another 5 minutes, until just cooked through.

Remove from the oven. Discard tarragon stems, cover again, and let the fish rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Spoon pan juices over the top once more and finish with lemon zest, fresh lemon juice (from the zested lemon), a generous drizzle of excellent olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper

Break up fish with a spoon into large chunks and place in shallow bowls. Pour the pan juices over top of the fish and serve with warm, crusty bread to soak up the broth.