What Does it Mean to "Smother" Food?

A reader recently asked me what it means to "smother" food. Good question. Depending on where you're from, you may have never enjoyed the heavenly taste of smothered meat or fish dishes.

There is more than one way to smother food. The typical method uses broth or water, but my friend, cookbook author, Wilbert Jones, likes to use vegetable-studded tomato and wine sauce. Often served with white rice, you might want to substitute orzo, the rice-shaped pasta.

TOMATO-SMOTHERED CATFISH
Makes 8 servings

4 tbsp. vegetable oil, preferably canola oil, as needed
Eight 7-oz. catfish fillets
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
One 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tsp. dried tarragon
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or ½ tsp. dried thyme

1.  Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. In batches, dip the fillets in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Coat the fillets in the flour and shake off the excess. Add to the skillet and cook, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 6 minutes. Add more oil to the skillet as needed to cook the remaining fillets. Transfer to a plate.

2.  Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil in the skillet. Add the onion and green and red peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Stir in the tomato sauce, tarragon, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, to blend the flavors, about 5 minutes.

3.  Return the catfish to the skillet, baste with the sauce, and cover. Simmer until the catfish is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.