Halibut Poached In Fennel Broth Recipes

HALIBUT POACHED IN LEMON-FENNEL COURT-BOUILLON

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a saucepan, and add enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Add 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer briskly until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, and return to pan to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, in a pot wide enough to accommodate halibut fillets in a single layer, combine 10 cups water, the wine, fennel wedges, lemon slices, and remaining 2 3/4 teaspoons salt.
• Place parsley, bay leaf, and some of the reserved fennel fronds between the leek halves, and tie together with kitchen twine. Add to pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer briskly until fennel is barely tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Reduce heat so that liquid is barely simmering (190 degrees to 200 degrees). Add halibut in a single layer. Cook, adjusting heat so that steam rises but only a stray bubble surfaces, until fish begins to flake when gently pressed and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of fillets registers 140 degrees, about 6 minutes.
• While fish is cooking, slice potatoes 1/4 inch thick, and divide among 4 shallow dishes. Remove 6 lemon slices from pot, and finely dice the peel. Melt butter in a small saucepan, and stir in lemon juice.
• As soon as the fish is cooked through, lift each fillet from pot using 2 slotted spatulas, and divide among 4 serving dishes. Add fennel wedges to dishes. Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cooking liquid over each fillet; sprinkle with diced lemon peel, and drizzle with lemon sauce. Garnish with remaining fennel fronds, and serve immediately.

HALIBUT POACHED IN FENNEL BROTH

Steps:

• In a large, wide saucepan, combine carrots, celery, half the fennel, leeks, parsley stems, peppercorns, fennel seeds, bay leaves, salt, wine, and 4 cups water, and bring to a boil. Lower heat, and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid and discarding solids.
• Return liquid to pan; simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add potatoes and remaining fennel to the broth. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add halibut fillets, and cover. If liquid does not cover fish, add water until it does. Turn heat down to lowest setting.
• Cook until fillets are just opaque, 10 to 15 minutes (start checking after 7 minutes). Be careful not to overcook.
• Place a fillet in each of four shallow bowls. Divide vegetables among bowls, top with a little broth, and serve immediately.

HALIBUT BRAISED IN A TOMATO-FENNEL BROTH

Steps:

• Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbs. of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the fillets, skin side up, and sear until just golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip and sear the skin side for 4 minutes. Transfer the fillets to a plate; if the skin sticks to the pan, discard it.
• Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil and the sliced fennel to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened somewhat and browned in spots, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the wine, immediately cover the pan tightly with a lid or foil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer briskly until the fennel is tender, about 8 minutes. (Check halfway through; if the fennel is dry, add 2 to 3 Tbs. water). Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, 1/2 cup water, and 2 Tbs. of the herbs. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste the broth for salt and pepper
• Return the halibut to the pan, settling the pieces skin side down into the broth, and pouring over any accumulated juices. Cover tightly and simmer until the halibut is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Carefully lift out the halibut; taste the sauce, and season if necessary. Serve the fish in a shallow bowl with the sauce spooned over and around it. Garnish with the remaining 1 Tbs. herbs.

PAN-SEARED HALIBUT WITH SOPPRESSATA AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large high-sided saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the soppressata and cook until lightly browned around the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the soppressata to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the fennel to the pan and cook until just softened and lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the browned soppressata, tomatoes, jalapeno juice, pickled jalapenos and 2 cups water. Cook until the liquid has reduced by almost half and the tomatoes just start to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter. Turn off the heat and cover with a lid.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high to high heat. Sprinkle the halibut liberally with salt and pepper. When the oil just starts to smoke, gently place 2 of the fillets in the pan and sear until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a large plate. Sear the remaining fillets, using the remaining vegetable oil if needed.
• To serve, divide the soppressata mixture and broth evenly among 4 shallow bowls. Top with the halibut, a drizzle of olive oil and garnish with the reserved fennel fronds. Serve with crusty bread if desired.

ROASTED HALIBUT WITH SAFFRON-FENNEL BUTTER

Steps:

• Combine 1 tablespoon butter and the saffron in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave until the butter melts, about 1 minute. Let cool 5 minutes. Place the remaining butter and the fennel seeds in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add the melted saffron butter, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and continue pulsing until the butter is bright yellow. Transfer to a piece of plastic wrap and form into a 4-inch log; freeze until firm, about 20 minutes. (The saffron butter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.)
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the sliced fennel, garlic, the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons water in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons water and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cover with foil and bake until the fennel is tender, about 20 minutes.
• Toss the tomatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Scatter the tomatoes over the fennel. Set the halibut on top of the vegetables; drizzle with the juice of the remaining 1/2 lemon and season with salt and pepper.
• Bake, uncovered, until the halibut is firm and no longer translucent, about 12 minutes; remove from the oven and top each piece with a thin slice of saffron butter. Return the halibut to the oven and bake until the butter just begins to melt, about 2 more minutes. Serve with fennel fronds.

HALIBUT IN PERNOD BROTH WITH FENNEL AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add fennel, asparagus, carrots, and shallots; sauté until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer vegetables to bowl. Add clam juice, Pernod, and herbs to same skillet; bring to boil. Add halibut fillets. Reduce heat to very low, cover, and simmer until fish is just opaque in center, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer fish to large shallow soup bowls. Return vegetables to skillet. Add lemon juice and butter; stir until butter melts. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon warm vegetables and broth over fish.

OIL-POACHED HALIBUT WITH TOMATOES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Simmer garlic, fennel bulbs, tomatoes, fennel seeds, sugar, bay leaf, zest, and 1 teaspoon salt in oil, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender but still intact, 30 to 40 minutes.
• While vegetables simmer, rub fish with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and let stand 10 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer vegetables to a bowl with a slotted spoon, then submerge fish in oil (if necessary, to lift level of oil, return vegetables to pot) and cover surface of oil with parchment paper. Cook fish over medium heat (without simmering) 5 minutes and remove from heat. Let fish cook from residual heat (still covered with parchment) until just cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Carefully transfer fish to a platter using 2 metal spatulas. Discard bay leaf. Surround with vegetables. Drizzle with some of oil and sprinkle with chopped fronds. Serve warm or at room temperature.