Halibut Poached In Fennel Broth Food

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.

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.

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.

HALIBUT WITH TOMATOES AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Cook couscous according to package instructions.
• In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil over medium. Add fennel and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, 4 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until they beginto soften and release their juices, 3 to 4 minutes. Nestle halibut in tomato mixture and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until fillets are opaque throughout, 8 minutes.
• Fluff couscous with a fork. Reserve 2 1/4 cups for another meal. To serve, divide remaining couscous and halibut-tomato mixture among 4 shallow bowls and sprinkle with fennel fronds, if desired.

POACHED HALIBUT IN LEMON-THYME BROTH

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, remove zest in strips from 2 lemons. Juice zested lemons. Transfer zest and juice to a 12-inch straight-sided skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Add stock, garlic, 4 sprigs thyme, and the peppercorns to the pan. Bring to a boil.
• Season each fillet on both sides with salt; carefully add to skillet. Cover skillet, and turn off the heat. Let stand until fish is opaque and firm to the touch, 9 to 12 minutes. Using a slotted spatula, transfer fish to a platter; tent loosely with foil to keep warm.
• Pour poaching liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Return to skillet. Bring to a boil; turn off heat.
• Divide broth among wide bowls; gently place a fish fillet in each. Cut remaining lemon into wedges. Garnish each serving with a wedge of lemon and a sprig of thyme, and lightly drizzle with oil.

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.