Halibut With Tomatoes And Fennel Food

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.

GRILLED HALIBUT WITH FENNEL, RED ONIONS AND OREGANO

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill over high heat.
• Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil over the fish and season with salt and pepper. Grill 4 minutes on each side until fish is firm but not tough and cooked through. Grill bread alongside or char under broiler then dress with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper as well.
• Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat.
• While fish cooks, peel the orange as you would a melon: cut off ends, stand it upright and cut off skin and pith in thin strips from top to bottom. Cut orange across into thin slices.
• To preheated skillet add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, the fennel and onions, season with salt and pepper and cook 3 to 5 minutes until seared and beginning to soften. Add vinegar to the pan and give it a shake. Remove from heat and toss in the oranges, the parsley and oregano. Adjust seasoning and serve salad on dinner plates topped with fish, and seasoned bread alongside.

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.

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.

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.

HEALTHY HALIBUT WITH FENNEL IN A TOMATO BEAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat a large nonstick skilled over medium-high heat until very hot. Brush one side of the halibut with 1 t of the oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Add halibut to the skillet, seasoned sides down. Cook 3 minutes or until seared and golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Reduce heat under skilled to medium-low and add remaining 2 t oil. Add chopped fennel bulb and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add garlic and continue cooking 3-4 minutes or until fennel is tender.
• Add tomatoes, olives, capers and beans to the skillet.
• Push vegetables to edbes of skillet and return fillets to the skillet, seared sides up. Continue cooking uncovered until halibut is opaque in center (3-5 minutes).
• Transfer halibut to serving plates. Quickly heat the vegetables through and transfer to plates alongside alibut. Sprinkle chopped fennel fronds over all.

HALIBUT WITH CARROTS, FENNEL, LEMON, AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil, leaving overhang as long as baking sheet. Brush foil with 1 tablespoon oil. Scatter sliced fennel in center of foil as bed for fish. Top fennel with lemon slices, then fish, spacing slightly apart. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Sprinkle carrots over fish; arrange tomatoes around fish. Drizzle 3 tablespoons oil over fish and tomatoes. Top with 16 thyme sprigs. Cover fish with foil overhang and seal. Bake fish until just opaque in center, about 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, blend remaining 3/4 cup olive oil and garlic in blender until smooth. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
• Open foil packet. Drizzle all of sauce over fish and vegetables. Reseal foil. Let fish cool at room temperature 1 hour. Chill overnight.
• Discard thyme sprigs. Using large spatula, transfer 1 fish fillet with fennel base to each of 8 plates. Divide tomatoes, carrots, and sauce among plates. Garnish fish with lemon wedges and fennel fronds.