The topping is what makes this a special dish, and that is due in great part to the unexpected hit of the lavender playing with the fennel. Clean and delicate with a light funk from leeks and green garlic, the topping brings out the meaty qualities of halibut without muzzling the sweetness. If you have the topping done ahead of time this is a dish that might take as little as 15-20 minutes to make.
INGREDIENTS:
4 6-8 ounce pieces of uniformly cut halibut filet
1 cup Sauté of Fennel Bulb and Leek with Fennel Seed and Lavender (See recipe)
1 Meyer lemon, halved (for juice) *
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil as needed
METHOD:
Heat the oven to 400°F. Bring the Sauté of Fennel and Leek to room temperature.
Heat a sauté pan large enough to hold all the fish without crowding over medium-high heat. If the pan is too large to fit in your oven or you do not have one pan large enough, use 2 pans, or line a heavy sheet pan with foil and place in the oven when you turn it on.
Rub the fish with oil all over and season with salt and pepper.
When the pan is good and hot, and the oven is up to temperature, barely film the pan with oil and as soon as it is hot, and place the halibut filets, skin side up, into the pan without touching. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until you can see from the side that the fish, at point of contact with the pan, has cooked/colored 1/8th inch up. At this point, transfer the pan(s) to the oven. Or, use a spatula to transfer to the sheet pan. If the fish will not release, continue stovetop cooking until it will let go, paying close attention to the time it is in the pan. Add some more oil to the pan, and drizzle fish with some lemon juice. Every minute or so, tilt the pan so the oil and lemon juice pools in one spot and use a large spoon to pour the hot oil over the top of the fish, cooking it. If the fish finally loosens up and has not finished cooking, transfer it to the sheet pan in the oven. The total time to cook the fish depends on the thickness based on 8 minutes of cooking to the inch. If the fish is 1-inch thick, cook it 8 minutes. 1½-inches thick? 12 minutes total cooking time. Check for doneness by gently pushing on a corner-if it flakes it is done. You can also stab a thin bladed knife or cake tester into the center ad let it sit a couple seconds, and then place the metal to the skin just below your bottom lip. If it is hot, your fish is done, but be careful not to burn yourself. (See Basic Fish Cookery on website for more about cooking fish)
When the fish is done, transfer to a paper towel, skin side down and blot the top if wet. Squeeze with a little lemon juice and transfer to plates. Top with the Fennel Leek sauté and serve hot.
Chef’s Notes: *If you have some good quality olive oil with lemon juice, use that instead of oil and lemon juice if you wish. Look for oil that has had the lemons pressed in with the olives, rather than oil that has been infused with lemon or is flavored with lemon as these just do not taste as good as the real thing.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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