Poached fish has always seemed like the kind of dish that should only be made by chefs with tall white hats, for their oh-so-discerning clientele. For years I thought of it as something too precious and too subtly seasoned for me to bother with in my own kitchen. I was wrong.

It turns out that poaching fish is not only easy but, if you choose the right poaching medium, can also be intensely flavorful. While many recipes call for poaching in water or wine, I like to drive the essence of the other ingredients into the fish even more by using a little cream.

No one is surprised to hear that "where there's fat, there's flavor," but like most adages, it's true. And cream certainly has more fat than either water or wine. Still, poaching fish in cups of cream seems a little daunting. Luckily, it's not necessary, as you'll see in this week's Poached Fish in Creamy, Spicy Tomato Broth and Herbs.

You only need a relatively small amount of cream to make the flavors in this dish hum, or in this case, sing. Loudly.

It starts with sliced garlic, cooked slow in olive oil with red pepper flakes. Cherry tomatoes are added to the skillet, along with a little white wine, and cooked until their sunny, bright flavor bursts into a ready-made sauce. Then, a little cream is added. Not enough to turn the liquid into something heavy and cloying, but just enough to give the tomato-y broth a little body.

Finally, the fish is added and cooked gently in the creamy broth. The type of fish you use in this recipe does make a difference. A thin, delicate fish stands a greater chance of falling apart in the cooking process, so I gravitate toward a flaky, sturdy fish like cod or halibut. I used cod, since halibut season doesn't come until mid-March, but another firm fish like tuna or sea bass would also be a good choice.

Once the fish is poached, it's tender and flavorful, but you also won't want to miss the chance to sop up every drop of that flavor-packed liquid, so make sure to serve it with lots of crusty bread.

Poached Fish in Creamy, Spicy Tomato Broth

Serves 4.

Note: Cherry tomatoes, garlic and a little cream drive loads of flavor into the tender, perfectly poached fish. From Meredith Deeds.

• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

• 2 (10-oz.) pkg. cherry tomatoes

• 1/2 c. dry white wine

• 1/2 tsp. salt, divided

• 1/4 c. heavy cream

• 4 (5 to 6 oz.) skinless halibut or cod fillets, or other flaky fish

• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 c. basil leaves, torn if large

Directions

Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until garlic has softened but not browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and continue to cook for 30 seconds. Add the cherry tomatoes, wine and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the tomatoes have burst and released their liquid, 10 to 13 minutes. Stir in cream.

Season fish fillets with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and place into the skillet with the sauce. Spoon some of the sauce over the top. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook at a low simmer until fish is opaque throughout and beginning to flake, 5 to 8 minutes (thicker pieces will take longer to cook).

Gently transfer fish to shallow bowls. Taste the liquid and add more salt, if necessary (if tomatoes are tart, add 1/4 teaspoon sugar). Stir basil into the sauce and spoon over fish. Serve with crusty bread.

Meredith Deeds is a cookbook author and food writer from Edina. Reach her at meredithdeeds@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram at @meredithdeeds.