halibut

Crispy Wild Halibut with Fried Jamón Serrano, Dijon and Green Peppercorn Sauce

/ Ren

Fresh filets of wild Alaskan halibut are lightly seasoned with sea salt and freshly-ground pepper, then quickly seared in clarified butter over high heat until the skin is crisp and brown and the fish is moist and flaky.

Served over a sauce of Pinot gris, shallots, green peppercorns,  and Dijon mustard, finished with cold, cultured butter and brightened with a little fresh parsley.  Accompanied with some bits of fried jamón serrano for flavor and texture..

Crispy Wild Halibut with Fried Jamón Serrano, Dijon and Green Peppercorn Sauce

The North Pacific commercial halibut fishery dates to the late 19th century and today is one of the region’s largest and most lucrative.  In Canadian and U.S. waters, longline predominates, using chunks of octopus (“devilfish”) or other bait on circle hooks attached at regular intervals to a weighted line that can extend for several miles across the bottom.

Halibut have been an important food source to Native Americans and Canadian First Nations for thousands of years and continue to be a key element to many coastal subsistence economies. Accommodating the competing interests of commercial, sport, and subsistence users remains a difficult challenge. -Wikipedia

Garlic Potato-Crusted Halibut with Dill Pollen Beurre Nantais

/ Ren

Wild Alaskan halibut fillets with a crunchy topping of shredded potatoes and fresh garlic, served over a dill pollen-infused reduction of butter, white white, red shallots, fresh lemon, cream and chopped parsley (beurre nantais)..

Garlic Potato-Crusted Halibut with Dill Pollen Beurre Nantais

“Halibut feed on almost any animal they can fit into their mouths. Juvenile halibut feed on small crustaceans and other bottom dwelling organisms. Animals found in their stomachs include sand lance, octopus, crab, salmon, hermit crabs, lamprey, sculpin, cod, pollock, herring, flounder as well as other halibut. Halibut live at depths ranging from a few meters to hundreds of meters, and although they spend most of their time near the bottom,[1] halibut may move up in the water column to feed. In most ecosystems the halibut is near the top of the marine food chain. In the North Pacific their only common predators are the sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), the orca (Orcinus orca), and the salmon shark (Lamna ditropis).”

“Halibut have been an important food source to Native Americans and Canadian First Nations for thousands of years and continue to be a key element to many coastal subsistence economies.”  –Wikipedia


Poached Halibut with Smoked Bacon-Tomato Gremolata

/ Ren

Wild Alaskan halibut fillets are gently poached in a court bouillon with Alsatian Pinot gris, pastured butter, fresh thyme, lemon verbena and a mirepoix of diced celery, onions and carrots.  The flaky, snow-white fish is topped with a gremolata of chopped parsley, fresh lemon, garlic, smoked bacon and heirloom tomatoes and seasoned with coarse sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper..

Poached Halibut with Smoked Bacon-Tomato Gremolata

For the Court Bouillon

1 pint filtered water
1/3 cup Pinot gris
1 tablespoon pastured butter
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup carrots, diced
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs lemon verbena
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add the celery, onions, carrots and garlic and cook without browning until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the water, wine, herbs and peppercorns and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

To poach halibut, lower fillets into simmering water and gently poach (do not allow to boil) until just firm and opaque, about 15 minutes per inch of thickness.

For the Gremolata

1/4 cup smoked bacon cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/2 cup heirloom tomato, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 cloves garlic, peeled and slivered
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Cook the bacon in a heavy skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp. Pour off all put a teaspoon of fat, then add the garlic and sauté 1 minute.

Add tomatoes and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and add lemon juice and parsley.

To serve, place halibut in a shallow bowl and spoon a little of the poaching liquid over the top.  Dress with gremolata and season with sea salt and cracked pepper.

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  • Recipe: Pan-Seared Marinated Halibut Fillets (nytimes.com)

Thai Green Curry Halibut

/ Ren

Wild Alaskan Halibut simmered in coconut milk with nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom and cloves and fiery homemade green curry paste, cilantro, basil and toasted coconut..

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Separate 1 large BPA-free can of heavy coconut into milk and cream and set aside.

Cut fresh or fresh-frozen wild Alaskan halibut into 1 inch cubes and refrigerate. You’ll need about 6 ounces per person.

In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse soy sauce, fish sauce, dried shrimp, fresh garlic, green chilies, galangal, lime leaves, lemon grass, coriander and cumin seeds with just enough coconut milk to keep the blade from seizing up.  The result should be a thick but soft paste.  Set aside.

Prepare Thai red rice according to package directions.  Keep hot.

Meanwhile, poach the halibut in the remaining coconut milk with nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom and cloves.  We want it a little underdone for now.

Fry the curry paste in hot oil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.  Reduce heat to low and add the poaching liquid.  Whisk in reserved coconut cream then add the halibut and simmer until the fish is snow white and flakes easily when pressed with a fork.

Make a ring of rice in the center of the plate, then spoon halibut and curry into the middle.  Garnish with toasted coconut flakes, fresh basil and chili oil.

This post is part of the Clean Your Plate Challenge at The Nourished Kitchen


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Seared Halibut, Grilled Green Beans and Fried Mushrooms

/ Ren

Fresh Alaskan Halibut, organic green beans and dried exotic mushrooms

Marinate the beans in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Make bread crumbs to top the fish.  I’m using a leftover wheat bun pulsed with a little dried parsley.

Rehydrate the mushrooms in hot water with a tablespoon or so of soy sauce. Prepare two plates of seasoned rice flour, beat the egg with a little water.

Dress the fish with olive oil, fresh ginger, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Sear the fish in a heavy skillet until nicely colored on both sides, top with bread crumbs and put the pan into a hot oven to finish.

While the fish is cooking, start the mushrooms.  Dust in flour, dip into egg wash and then back into the flour.  Drop into hot oil.  Get those beans going- they should cook until they begin to brown and shrivel a bit.

Drain the mushrooms on a brown paper bag then assemble the plate.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦