Pollock stewed with carrots and onions in tomato

Usually, pollock is sold frozen. Therefore, first of all, I start by defrosting the fish. Bringing it home from the store (or taking out the previously bought fish from the freezer), I place it in a deep bowl for defrosting. In summer (in the heat), I defrost the fish in the refrigerator. I clean the defrosted pollock from scales. Pollock has small scales. Therefore, I need to be more thorough in cleaning the less noticeable scales under the fins. I clean off the tiny fish scales while holding the pollock under running water, which immediately washes away the cleaned scales. Since I bought the pollock without a head and already gutted, the next step will be cutting off all the fins. If the purchased fish is not processed, then the fish head should be cut off. Now carefully cut open the belly of the fish, being careful not to damage the gallbladder, and then remove the insides. The inside of the belly is covered with a black skin, which I must completely peel off and discard to avoid bitterness in the finished fish dish. I thoroughly wash the fish under running water. After rinsing the pollock with cool water outside and inside, I dry its bodies with a paper towel.

Then I cut the fish into portion-sized pieces. I salt and pepper the pieces of pollock, grinding black peppercorns in a grinder. I leave the pollock in the spices for 15 minutes.

While the fish is absorbing the spices, I prepare the vegetables for the sauce. I peel the onion. The onion can be cut in different ways, depending on preferences. If you like large pieces of onion in a fish dish, cut the onion into large half-rings (or feathers through the whole onion head). If you want a more homogeneous sauce for the fish, then the onion can be finely chopped with a knife. I cut the onion heads into quarters and then cut the quarters into strips.

I peel and wash 2 roots of carrots. The carrot can be cut as you wish. It can be cut into long or short strips (or circles). You can even cut flowers out of the circles. The last option is usually used if the fish dish is prepared for a holiday. There is also an option of adding grated carrots to the sauce. The carrot can be grated (on a coarse grater). This shortens the time, but the sauce with carrot cut with a knife (rather than grated) tends to be tastier and prettier. I cut the carrot into long strips. Even when I cook fish not for a holiday, I like to beautifully decorate the dish. Therefore, I cut out several flowers from the carrot.

To enhance the aroma of the vegetables, I lightly and briefly fry them in vegetable oil. The onion and carrot for the sauce can be sautéed without browning, just lightly sautéing. I sauté the vegetables in a separate pan with high sides.

I pour 2 tbsp of refined vegetable oil into the pan. Before placing the pieces of pollock in the pan, I coat them in flour. The fish should not be placed in a poorly heated pan; otherwise, it will stick to the bottom. Therefore, I heat the frying pan well, and only then do I place the coated slices of pollock on it.

I fry the pieces of pollock on both sides until a thin, light crust forms. There is no need to cook the fish all the way through. As soon as the coating on the pieces of pollock is covered with a light, golden crust, I immediately turn off the heat under the pan with the fish.

I transfer part of the sautéed vegetables to a plate. I place the pieces of fish on the remaining vegetables in the deep pan.

I cover the pollock on the vegetable bed in the pan with the sautéed vegetables that I set aside earlier in the plate.

I add salt and tomato paste to the tomato juice, mixing it well. I taste the tomato sauce. If the tomato juice is sour and not very sweet, I add 1 tsp of sugar to it.

I pour the resulting tomato sauce over the fish with vegetables in the pan. If desired, you can simmer the pollock (with carrots and onions) not in the skillet, but in a pot. After pouring the pollock with the tomato sauce, I place the dish on the heat. For aroma, I add bay leaves. The number of bay leaves depends on how much you like the aroma of this spice. I think the optimal option is 1-2 leaves. As soon as the sauce boils, I cover the pan (or pot) with the fish with a lid. Reducing the heat under the cooking vessel (to a low level), I simmer the pollock with vegetables in tomato for 40 minutes. It is preferable for the fish dish to sit for a bit, so I do not rush to serve it. At least another 15 minutes, I leave the fish in the cooking vessel in the tomato sauce.

I serve the stewed pollock in tomato with any side dish or as an independent dish (without a side).