Poaching is a cooking method where food is submerged into a simmering liquid and cooked.  Sometimes that liquid is water, sometimes broth or even wine, but using a quality olive oil to poach fish especially really adds a richness that is incomparable to roasting or baking the same fish.  Any fish is a good candidate for this cooking method, but my favorites are the flaky white fish like cod, halibut or sea bass.  This particular recipe starts with a rub of toasted ground fennel seeds and saffron with a pinch of salt for flavoring. The saffron gives the fish a radiant yellow hue and the fennel a lovely anise flavor.  Flaky and full of flavor, this recipe will really impress your dinner guests! (and yourself for that matter…)

(To view this recipe, click on the following link: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/olive-oil-poached-halibut-fennel-saffron.aspx)

Tagged: fennel seeds, fish, halibut, oil poached fish, olive oil-poached fish, poached fish, saffron, saffron threads