Oil Poached Halibut With Tomatoes And Fennel Recipes

BRAISED HALIBUT WITH FENNEL IN PUTTANESCA SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fennel and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Stir the garlic into the vegetables and cook 1 more minute, then stir in the oregano and red pepper flakes. Pour in the wine and cook, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until most of the wine evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, lemon zest, olives, capers and brine and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 4 minutes.
• Season the fillets with salt and pepper, nestle them in the sauce and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, about 10 minutes. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parsley.

POACHED HALIBUT WITH TOMATO AND BASIL

Steps:

• Season fish with salt and pepper. In a large skillet add the oil. Arrange fish in the pan and turn to coat in oil, then add garlic, shallots and wine. Top each fillet of fish with 1/4 of the tomatoes. Place the pan on the stove top and bring the liquid to a boil over medium high heat. Top the pan with a tight fitting lid and reduce heat to moderate. Cook fish 8 to 10 minutes until opaque and flaky, but not dry. Carefully transfer fish topped with tomatoes to dinner plates or serving plate with a thin spatula. Spoon pan juices over the fish. Squeeze the wedge of lemon over the cooked fish and top each fillet with lots of torn or shredded basil. Serve immediately.

HALIBUT POACHED IN OLIVE OIL

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 250 degrees F/120 degrees C.
• Lay the fish fillets in a baking dish just large enough to hold them. Pour over enough oil to cover. Add the orange zest, fennel seed, thyme sprigs, garlic and some pepper. Bake until just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the fish from the oil. Garnish with the fleur de sel. Serve with a little of the cooking oil dribbled over.

OIL-POACHED HALIBUT WITH FENNEL, TOMATOES, AND MASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• Generously season fish with salt. Coat the bottom of a 3-to-4-quart saucepan or small pot with oil, then nestle fish pieces in, skin-sides down. Add just enough oil to fully submerge fish (about1 cup); attach a deep-fry thermometer to pan. Heat over medium until oil reaches 150 degrees. Reduce heat to low to maintain temperature (remove pan from heat briefly if it climbs above 150 degrees). Cook until fish turns opaque and is just cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness. Remove with a fish spatula or slotted spoon, allowing excess oil to drip back into pot; transfer to a plate, skin-sides up, and loosely.cover with foil to keep warm.
• While the fish is cooking; in a small pot, combine potatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, and enough water to submerge potatoes by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium; simmer potatoes until tender and easily pierced with the tip of a knife., 10-12 minutes. Drain; press potatoes through a ricer back into pot (or, for a chunkier potatoes, use a potato masher). Cover to keep warm.
• Add fennel wedges, tomatoes, olives, and rosemary to pan, adding more oil to fully submerge ifnecessary. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until oil temperature reaches 210 degrees. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain temperature and continue cooking until fennel is tender and easily pierced with the tip of a knife, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove vegetable mixture with a slotted spoon,reserving oil for potatoes.
• Add milk and 1/4 cup reserved oil to potatoes, stirring until smooth. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more oil. Remove skin from fish and serve over potatoes, with vegetable mixture and a drizzle of poaching oil.

TOMATO-POACHED HALIBUT

Steps:

• In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add poblano peppers and onion; cook and stir 4-6 minutes or until tender., Stir in tomatoes, olives, garlic, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil. Adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Add fillets. Cook, covered, 8-10 minutes or until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges and, if desired, bread.

MARIO BATALI'S OVEN-POACHED HALIBUT IN OLIVE OIL

Steps:

• Put a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Pat the fish fillets dry, then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Allow the seasoned fish to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Chop half of the capers.
• Arrange half of the lemon slices in one layer in an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Arrange the fish fillets in one layer over the lemon slices. Top with all of the capers, the remaining lemon slices, and the 3 tablespoons of parsley, then pour the oil over the composed fish.
• Bake, covered, until the fish just flakes and is cooked throughout - 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Serve the fish with some of the lemon slices, capers, and oil spooned over. Sprinkle with parsley leaves.
• COOK'S NOTE:
• To reuse the leftover olive oil, strain it through a paper towel-lined sieve and allow it to cool to room temperature. It will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.
• Recipe adapted from: the website of The Jane Pauley Show (on which the technique was demonstrated).