Sea Bass With Leeks and Cherry Tomatoes

There are as many ways to prepare fish as there are to catch them, but with black sea bass, Colicchio likes this simple recipe: (1) Scale, fillet, and cut the meat into inch-wide strips. (2) In a pan, heat olive oil and add a small handful of chopped leeks. “What I do is sweat the leeks,” he says. “I don’t want color at all on them.” (3) Once the leeks soften, turn down the heat and add cherry tomatoes and a bit of water to stew them. “They’ll sort of pop when they’re ready and release their liquid,” he says, “which becomes a sauce.” (4) Add a pinch of thinly sliced fresh pepper to the pan for heat. (5) Add a pat of butter to the pan, then add the sea bass. Cook for five minutes or so, turning the meat once or twice, until it pulls apart easily. (6) Plate the fish and add fresh herbs, like diced garlic scapes. “It’s very easy and quick,” says Colicchio. “And good.”