- 1 pound plum tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup dried large white beans (such as gigante, cannellini, Italian butter, or Great Northern)
- 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 cups boiling water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup chopped leek (white and pale green parts only)
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped peeled carrot
- 4 cups (about) low-salt chicken broth, divided
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 small bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
- 1/2 pound fresh wild mushrooms (such as chanterelle, porcini, or stemmed shiitake), thickly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 small shallot, chopped
- 1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- Olive oil
- 4 6-ounce arctic char fillets with skin (each 3/4 to 1 inch thick)
- 1 teaspoon fennel pollen or ground fennel seed
- Preheat oven to 250°F. Cut each plum tomato in half lengthwise and place, cut side up, on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle tomatoes with oil, then sprinkle with chopped thyme, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Roast tomatoes until tender and dry-looking on top but still moist, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Cool on sheet. Do ahead: Can be made 2 days ahead. Wrap; chill. Rewarm oven-dried tomatoes in microwave in 15-second intervals at low setting before using.
- Place beans in medium bowl. Add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Let beans soak overnight. Place dried porcini mushrooms in another medium bowl. Add 2 cups boiling water. Soak until mushrooms are soft, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Drain mushrooms, reserving soaking liquid. Chop mushrooms.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek, onion, and carrot; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add 3 cups broth, wine, bay leaves, chopped sage, chopped porcini mushrooms, and reserved mushroom soaking liquid, leaving any sediment behind. Drain beans; add beans to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until beans are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more broth by 1/2 cupfuls to keep beans just covered, about 2 hours. Season beans to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm beans before continuing.
- Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced wild mushrooms, garlic, and shallot; sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir mushrooms into beans. Keep mixture warm.
- Preheat broiler. Grind dried porcini mushrooms to powder in spice grinder or food mill. Brush broiler pan with oil. Brush fish on both sides with oil; place on broiler pan, skin side down. Sprinkle each with salt, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground mushrooms, and 1/4 teaspoon fennel pollen (reserve any remaining ground mushrooms for another use).
- Broil fish, flesh side up, 4 inches from heat source until just opaque in center (do not turn), 4 to 5 minutes.
- Spoon 1 cup bean mixture into center of each plate. Top beans with tomato halves, then fish, flesh side up.
- Available in the produce section of many supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Italian markets.
- A spice extracted from wild fennel plants; available at specialty foods stores and from