Striped Bass with Tomato Relish

Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse the fish; pat dry with paper towels. Set aside. Finely shred the peel from the lemons; juice the lemons. Set the peel and juice aside.

For tomato relish, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, one-third of the diced shallot, and the fennel seeds; cook for about 2 minutes or until the shallot is translucent and the mixture is aromatic. Add celery and capers; cook for 2 minutes more. Add wine; cook over high heat until rapidly boiling. Boil until about half of the liquid has evaporated. Reduce heat to medium. Add tomatoes, basil, garlic oil, vinegar, the remaining diced shallot, one-third of the lemon peel, and one-third of the lemon juice. Cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Season the fish with the remaining lemon peel and the remaining lemon juice. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish, skin sides down, to the hot skillet. Cook for 45 seconds; using a metal spatula, giving each fillet a push to loosen the skin from the skillet. Add thyme stems to the oil; spoon the oil over the fillets.

Once the skin of the fillets begins to turn golden, place the skillet in the oven; bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Carefully transfer the fillets to a paper-towel-lined plate. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with the tomato relish.