Bronzed Alaska Halibut with Tomato and Tarragon Butter
Greg Atkinson, from "Entertaining in the Northwest Style"
Pan-searing halibut affords a cook the most flexibility of any method
I know. The halibut can be prepared well in advance up to a point and
finished without any fuss, just before serving. An aromatic coating of
sugar, smoked paprika, and salt provides not only a flavor boost but
also a catalyst for caramelization on the delicate surface of the fish
exposed to the hot oil in the pan.
Serves 6
- 6 halibut fillets, about 8 ounces each
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
Rinse the fillets and pat them dry. Mix the sugar, paprika, sea salt,
and white pepper, and sprinkle the fillets with this mixture.
Over medium-high heat, preheat a large skillet for 1 minute. Put the
canola oil in the pan; it should be almost smoking hot.
Put the halibut in the pan skin side up, reduce heat to medium, and
allow the fish to cook, undisturbed, until a crisp brown crust has
formed on the underside, about 4 minutes.
Use a flexible steel fish spatula or a pancake turner to lift the
fillets out of the pan, being careful not to tear the delicate crust
that has formed. Turn the fillets and place them on an ungreased baking
sheet. (The fish may be prepared ahead up to this point and kept
refrigerated for several hours.)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the partially cooked halibut
fillets until they are cooked through, about 7 minutes. The skins will
stick to the baking sheet, so you can lift the fillets off the sheet
while leaving the skins behind.
To serve, place a pan-seared fish fillet in the center of each
serving plate. Top with the tomato and tarragon butter and the garnishes
from that recipe (tomato dice and sprigs of tarragon).
Tomato and Tarragon Butter
Like the lemon butter that’s served with asparagus in "A Feast for
Spring," this sauce is a variation on beurre blanc, a classic French
butter sauce that derives its supple texture from a technique that
prevents hot butter from breaking down into clear fat and whey. The
butter is held in suspension by whisking it into a flavorful liquid
base—in this case, a fresh tomato purée boiled with red wine and
seasonings.
- Makes about 1 cup
- 2 ripe medium tomatoes (about ½ pound)
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- ½ cup red wine
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves, or 1 tablespoon fresh
- ¾ cup (1-½ sticks) butter
- Tarragon sprigs for garnish
Quarter the tomatoes and put the wedges skin side down on a cutting
board. Use the knife to scoop out the inside from each wedge, leaving a
¼-inch thick piece of skin. Cut the thick skins into ¼-inch dice to
garnish the finished dish, and set aside.
Put the insides of the tomatoes into a blender along with the tomato
paste, red wine, garlic, salt, and pepper. Purée the mixture by pulsing
the blender on and off a few times, then allowing it to run
uninterrupted for about 5 seconds. The goal is to crush the tomato pulp
and leave the seeds relatively undamaged.
Pass the purée through a strainer into a small nonreactive (stainless
steel or enamel) saucepan and discard the seeds. Add the tarragon and
bring the purée to a boil over high heat, and allow it to reduce to
about a third of its original volume.
Whisk the butter into the tomato purée, and serve the tomato butter
over fish. Garnish with the tarragon sprigs and tomato dice.
(Click here to read a review of "Entertaining in the Northwest
Style")
June 2006 |
