Slow Roasted Halibut With Deconstructed Ratatouille Food

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.

SLOW-ROASTED HALIBUT WITH ASPARAGUS AND SALSA GENOVESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Put 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a shallow baking dish. Place the fish fillets in the baking dish and turn to coat them with the oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon the wine around the fish. Bake until the fish just flakes, about 20 minutes.
• Whisk a tablespoon or 2 of the juices from the baking dish into the salsa and oil mixture to thin and flavor it, then spoon the sauce over the fish. Serve at once.
• Add all the ingredients except for the olive oil and pulse until nearly pureed. With the machine running, add 6 tablespoons olive oil through the feed tube, pureeing until the mixture is almost smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
• Refrigerate in an airtight container with a thin film of olive oil on top to protect it from oxidizing. The flavors will stay lively for 2 to 3 days.

HERB AND GARLIC CRUSTED HALIBUT WITH OVEN BAKED RATATOUILLE

Steps:

• Brush each fillet with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, dredge, skin side down in the herb/bread mixture. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan until almost smoking. Add the fillets, crust-side down and saute until lightly golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, turn the fillets over and continue cooking until the fish is just cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes more.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium casserole, make a layer of onions, drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with some of the herbs. Repeat with the remaining vegetables. Cover and bake in the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, pressing down on the vegetables occasionally, until the vegetables are completely tender. Garnish with fresh parsley.

PASTA SHELLS WITH HALIBUT AND OVEN-ROASTED RATATOUILLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Spread next 5 ingredients on sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Roast vegetables until tender, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of sheet. Place fish in center of sheet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until just opaque in center, about 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot. Add roasted vegetables and enough reserved pasta cooking water to pasta to moisten; toss. Cut fish into 1/2-inch pieces; add to pasta and toss gently. Season with salt and pepper.
• *A dried herb mixture available at specialty foods stores and some supermarkets.