Lemonfish with fennel & chickpeas

Lemonfish gets a bad rap. Considered by many to be a far inferior species to the more lordly snapper and tarakihi, it is most likely to have its attributes hidden by a coating of batter and a pile of fries.
There is nothing wrong with this long-time Kiwi favourite. Its firm-fleshed sharkiness is capable of far more.
This week, I am combining it with a sauce based on tomatoes and chickpeas. I've also included fennel, which might take some tracking down. It's not strictly necessary, but it would be a shame to leave it out.
The dish has good textural and flavour contrasts and is sure to find favour among your family and friends. Because the fish is so meaty, it might even convert a few hardened carnivores.
1small fennel bulb
2 Tbsps vegetable or pure olive oil
1 stalk celery, peeled, snapped, de-stringed
2 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
2 cloves garlic part-crushed, and finely chopped
1 x 400g tin Italian chopped tomatoes
2 x 390g tins chickpeas, drained
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 pieces lemonfish, or other firm-fleshed species
Slice the fennel stalks very thinly, divide the bulb into four lengthways and slice thinly across. Heat the oil in a pot, add the fennel, celery and shallot. Sweat, stirring, until soft but not brown, then add garlic and cook another minute. Add the tomatoes and most of their juice. Cover and simmer on a very low heat for 30-40 minutes, or until the mixture is thick with little clear liquid showing. Stir in the chickpeas, season, and keep warm.
Meanwhile, trim the lemonfish pieces, season and brush with oil. Heat a frypan (I used a ridged grill pan and rotated the fish 90 halfway through) and cook the fish until it is just opaque, turning once. If the pieces are particularly thick, you might have to finish the cooking in a 180C oven.
Divide the tomato/chickpea mix  among four warm plates and place a piece of fish on each. Chopped parsley gives the dish a bit of extra colour.
Serves 4
Wine match
The power in the fish, fennel and tomatoes calls for a zesty wine like a sauvignon blanc, but the chickpeas add a savouriness that might need a wine that's been aged in an oak barrel. These are not easy to find, but you will be well rewarded if you do find one.
Dog Point Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc 2008, from Marlborough, would be perfect. The spicy bouquet gives it great character, and the smooth, savoury flavours bring out the best in the fish and its bed of tomatoey chickpeas. It sells in the high $30s, which is far more than you'll pay for most Marlborough sauvignon blancs, but it's worth the extra.