Peshkado Kon Ruibarbaro (Fish With Rhubarb Sauce) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs rhubarb
3 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or 3 cups chopped, seeded canned plum tomatoes)
1 cup dry red wine
1 -2 tablespoon honey
1 lemon, juice and zest of
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional)
2 lbs firm fish fillets, such as cod, sea bass, flounder, salmon

Preparation

To make the rhubarb sauce, clean the rhubarb stalks by pulling off the heavy filaments, much as you would pull strings from celery.
Cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Place the pieces in a saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, until the rhubarb has melted into a puree and is tender, 8-10 minutes.
Warm the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are reduced to a thick sauce, about 15 minutes. If using canned tomatoes (I did), skip this step and proceed to 4.
Add the wine, 1 tablespoon honey, and the lemon juice and zest, if using, and stir well. Add the tomatoes to the rhubarb puree, or vice versa, and mix well. NOTE: I used 2 tablespoons of honey and omitted the lemon juice and zest.
Simmer, uncovered, over low heat until the sauce is thick and rich, about 20 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and the cinnamon, if using. Taste and adjust the sweet-and-sour balance, adding a bit more honey if needed. Keep warm.
While the sauce is cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the fish fillets in a single layer in a baking dish. Spoon some of the sauce over them, covering them completely. Cover and bake until the fish tests done when the point of a knife is inserted into the thickest part, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the fillets to a platter and spoon the rest of the warm sauce over them. Serve at once. I recommend a side of pasta, brown rice or gnocchi to soak up the extra sauce!