Braised Halibut Steaks with Garlic and Tomato Purees

4 6-8 oz halibut or salmon steaks
2 shallots, finely chopped
1T unsalted butter or olive oil
1/2 c dry white wine (I generally substitute broth since I don't like wine)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 T finely chopped parsley
1/4 c garlic puree, recipe follows
1/2 c stiff tomatoe puree, recipe follows
2t white wine vinegar
12 garlic cloves, peeled and blanched until soft
1 tomatoe, peeled and diced

Preheat oven to 400.
Rinse off the steaks and dry thoroughly with paper towels. SPrinkle the shallots in a buttered baking dish or saute' pan just large enough to hold the steaks in a single layer. Arrange the steaks over the shallots, pour on the wine and season with salt and pepper.
Place the steaks on the stove over high heat. WHen the wine comes to a simmer, cover the steaks loosely with foil and slide them into the oven for 5-10 minutes. About 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
When the steaks are done they'll be firm to the touch, cut into one if you can't tell. Transfer them to hot plates with a spatula. Whisk the parsley, purees, vinegar and garlic cloves into the hot wine. If the sauce seems too thin boil it down slightly to thicken it. If it's too thick stir in a little water. Season with salt and pepper to taste and spoon the sauce over the fish. Decorate each plate with the diced tomatoes.

Garlic Puree
Makes 1/2 cup.
Break three large heads of garlic into cloves. Simmer the unpeeled cloves for 20-30 minutes in a pot of water until they are completely soft. You'll be able to crush one against the side of the saucepan with a spoon.
Drain the garlic, puree it in a food processor, and work it through a drum sieve or a fine-mesh strainer. Garlic puree keeps in the refridgerator for up to a week and for several months in the freezer if tightly covered.

Tomatoe puree
makes 1/2 cup
Cut four medium tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze the seeds out of each half. Chop the tomatoe halves and stew them over medium heat in a 2 quart pot until the liquid they release evaporates adn the mixture thickens, about 20 minutes. Stir every few minutes to make sure the mixture doesn't stick and burn. Work into a clean saucepan through a food mill or a strainer with the back of a ladle to eliminate any seeds and pieces of peel, Cook the puree over medium heat for about 15 minutes more, until it becomes stiff.