Slow Cooked Halibut With Garlic Cream And Fennel Food

SLOW-COOKED HALIBUT WITH GARLIC CREAM AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F. Place fennel in a large saucepan wide enough to fit fish comfortably. Add garlic, cream, and 1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. salt. Place over low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until fennel is just tender, 12-15 minutes (do not let cream come to a boil). Remove from heat.
• Season fish with remaining 1 tsp. salt. Using tongs, carefully slip fish into pan (it should be mostly covered). Transfer to oven and cook fish, uncovered, until flesh easily flakes with a fork, 18-22 minutes.
• While the fish is cooking, finely chop reserved fennel fronds and place in a small bowl (you should have about 1/2 cup). Cut ends off lemon; discard. Place lemon upright on one end and cut lemon into four lobes, working around the center as you would an apple and leaving core and seeds behind. Finely chop lobes (peel and all) and transfer to bowl with fennel fronds. (You should have about 1/3 cup.) Squeeze juice from core over fennel fronds; discard core. Drizzle in oil and toss mixture to combine. Season fennel oil with salt and lots of pepper.
• Break fish into large pieces and divide among shallow bowls. Divide garlic and fennel among bowls and ladle some garlic cream on top; spoon fennel oil over.

SLOW-ROASTED HALIBUT WITH SHAVED ASPARAGUS AND FENNEL SALAD

Steps:

• For salad:
• Whisk lemon juice and mustard in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil, then add capers. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and rewhisk before using.
• Place 1 asparagus spear flat on work surface. Using vegetable peeler, shave asparagus into long thin strips. Place asparagus strips in medium bowl with shaved fennel. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
• For fish:
• Coat rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs, and lemon peel in another medium bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle melted butter over. Using fork, toss to incorporate evenly.
• Place halibut fillets on prepared baking sheet, spacing apart. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Divide breadcrumbs among fillets to cover top (about 1/3 cup each), pressing to adhere. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 hour ahead. Cover and chill.
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Bake halibut until opaque in center, about 20 minutes. Turn on broiler. Broil halibut just until breadcrumbs start to brown, about 1 minute.
• Place 1 halibut fillet on each of 6 plates. Pour dressing over asparagus and fennel mixture; toss to coat. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad among plates and serve.

HALIBUT ROASTED WITH FENNEL AND CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven 500 degrees.
• Toss fennel with 1 tablespoon olive oil, anchovies and 1 tablespoon of fennel seed. Roast on the top shelf for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender and softened.
• Toss the cubed bread with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste. Remove baking dish from the oven. Set halibut on top of roasted fennel, top with croutons, drizzle with a little olive oil and bake for 8 to 12 minutes on the top shelf of the oven. Sprinkle with fennel seeds, dill and serve.

SLOW ROASTED HALIBUT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• For the fish: Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. Butter the parchment with 2 tablespoons of the butter, then smear another 2 tablespoons on the halibut fillets. Season the fillets on both sides with salt and place in the oven to slow roast until opaque and cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a deep-sided pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the remaining 8 tablespoons butter, the clams, garlic, shallots, parsley and a pinch of salt. And the wine, immediately cover with a lid and steam until the clams open, about 5 minutes. Transfer the clams to a bowl and set aside. Pour the clam cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside.
• For the beurre blanc: Combine the reserved clam liquid, Champagne, thyme, bay leaf, shallots, lemon juice and peel and peppercorns in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and reduced by two-thirds (the saucepan will be almost dry), 10 to 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer fitted with a coffee filter into a small pot.
• Place the pot over medium-low heat, add a few cubes of the chilled butter and whisk constantly until the butter is melted. Repeat the process 2 more times with the remaining butter. Don't allow the sauce to boil or it will break. Whisk in the creme fraiche and a pinch of salt. Using an immersion blender, blend the uni into the sauce, then stir in the chives. Remove the clams from their shells, add them to the beurre blanc and keep the sauce warm until ready to serve.
• For serving: Cover the bottom of each plate with a layer of zucchini slices, slightly overlapping them in a circular pattern. Top with the lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place a halibut fillet on the zucchini, spoon the beurre blanc over the fish, then top with caviar.

ROASTED HALIBUT WITH FENNEL & POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Cut off roots and trim dark green top from leek. Discard any tough outer leaves.
• Thinly slice leek.
• Rinse thoroughly in a bowl of cold water; swish to remove any sand. Transfer with hands to a colander and drain well.
• Spray 13"x9" glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Add leek, potatoes, fennel, fennel seed, 1 tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper to the baking dish.
• Toss to coat and spread evenly.
• Roast vegetables 35 minutes or until tender, stirring halfway through roasting.
• Remove baking dish from oven. Place halibut on vegetables, drizzle with liquor and 1 tsp oil.
• Sprinkle fennel seeds, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper.
• Place lemon slices on halibut, return dish to oven and roast 10-12 minutes or just until halibut turns opaque in center.
• To serve, sprinkle with fennel fronds if using.

GARLIC HALIBUT

Steps:

• Rinse the fish fillets under cold running water and blot dry with paper towels. Arrange the fillets in a nonreactive baking dish just large enough to hold them.
• Prepare the marinade: Pound the garlic, ginger, cilantro leaves and root, if using, and sugar to a paste in a mortar with a pestle. (I would suggest starting with pounding the garlic). You could also purée in a mini chopper or food processor. Work in the fish sauce, sake, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Spoon marinade on both sides of the fillets. Cover the fish with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour, turning the fillets once or twice.
• Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. When ready to cook, oil a fish basket, if using, or brush and oil the grill grate. Place the fillets in the basket on the hot grate. Grill until each side of the fillets is browned and cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per side. If grilling directly on the grate, brush the tops of the fillets with oil before gently turning them with a spatula. To test for doneness, press a fillet with your finger. It should break into clean flakes when fully cooked. Another test is to insert a metal skewer in the side of a fillet. when it is done the skewer will come out very hot to the touch after 20 seconds.
• Note: To grill a fish fillet on a fish grate, place the grate on top of the regular grate and preheat to high. Oil the fish grate with a folded paper towel dipped in oil or lift it with tongs and spray with oil. As an added precaution against sticking, brush or spray the fillets themselves with 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.