ROAST FISH WITH SICILIAN SWEET-AND-SOUR ONIONS

1/4 cup olive oil
3 yellow onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick (4 to 5 cups)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or to taste
1 tablespoon honey or to taste
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, preferably oil packed, cut in thin slivers
3 tablespoons currants, plumped in hot water, drained and liquids saved
6 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
4 (5-to 6-ounce each) fillets of cod, snapper, flounder, halibut, or sea bass
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the onions, sprinkle lightly with salt, and cook over moderate heat until very tender, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not let them brown.

Add the vinegar and honey, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, currants, and 4 tablespoons of the mint. Cook for a few minutes longer.

Taste for seasoning. You may not need any additional salt if the tomatoes have been salted, but you will need pepper. Adjust the sweet-and-sour ratio. If you'd like it sweeter, add some of the currant soaking liquids. Check again for salt.

Sprinkle the fish fillets with salt and pepper, and place in a lightly oiled baking dish. Cover with the onions.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fish tests done (poke with a knife and take a peek). You may need to cook this a little longer if the onions were cool when you put them on top of the fish.

Remove the fish to serving plates and top with the remaining chopped mint.

Servings: 4
Source: Kitchen Conversations: Robust Recipes and Lessons in Flavor from One of America's Most Innovative Chefs by Joyce Goldstein