Roasted Halibut with Fennel, Leeks & Garlic
Fragrant with roasted fennel and leeks, this incredibly elegant dish is sure to impress.
Ingredients:
2 medium fennel bulbs, cored and cut into ½ -inch thick slices
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut in half lengthwise and into 1/2 inch thick slices
10 garlic cloves, cut in half
1 pound filet of halibut, skin removed
4 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup white wine
Zest of 1 lemon, plus 3 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Stir the leeks, fennel and garlic together with 2 tablespoons of oil, the white balsamic and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add half of the lemon zest, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, raisins and season with salt and pepper. Pour the vegetable mixture into a roasting pan and roast for about 15-20 minutes until veggies start to get tender.
2. In the meantime place the halibut, skin side up, in a baking dish with the white wine and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Let marinate in the refrigerator while the veggies are roasting. After about 15 minutes, pour off ¾ of the liquid, flip the fish to have the skin side down, rub with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with remaining red pepper flakes, lemon zest and salt and pepper.
3. Push the veggies aside to make space and place the fish in the oven to roast, moving the pan to the top rack. Roast for about 15 minutes until the fish is flaky and slightly opaque, and veggies are full cooked and caramelized. Stir together the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, ½ tablespoon lemon juice and the fresh herbs. Spoon the veggies on to a serving platter, lay the fish on top and spoon the herb vinaigrette over top. Garnish with toasted pine nuts.
Variation: In lieu of the herb vinaigrette at the end, you could instead garnish the fish with a few pats of this week’s lemon-basil compound butter; delicious!
Garlic Butter-Roasted Mushrooms
Roasted with capers and garlic, this simple dish is a real show-stopper.
Ingredients:
½ pound wild mushrooms, such as this week’s mixture of local mushrooms, washed and dried
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 450° with rack placed in middle.
2. Toss mushrooms with capers, garlic, salt and several grinds of black pepper in a small 1½- to 2-quart shallow baking dish.
3. Top with butter and roast, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and golden and bubbly garlic sauce forms below, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve immediately.
Meyer Lemon-Garlic Kale Salad
Tossed with a sweet-tart citrus dressing, this salad is fresh and bright and pairs nicely with just about any main dish.
Ingredients:
1 large bunch Lacinato kale, greens removed from thick stems, washed and patted dry
1 cup slivered almonds
⅓ cup Meyer lemon juice
1½ cups olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
Sea salt
Method:
1. In a small skillet, toast almonds until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
2. In a bowl, combine the lemon juice and 1 heaping teaspoon salt. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Using the flat side of a knife, crush the garlic cloves and add to the dressing, setting aside to steep.
3. Working in batches, cut the kale into thin ribbons and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the almonds. Remove and discard garlic cloves from dressing. Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss. Taste for both dressing and salt, adding more as needed. Serve within 1 hour.
Fregola Sarda Salad
A light and bright salad accented by capers, garlic and hazelnuts.
Ingredients:
3 large eggs
1¼ cups fregola sarda
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup capers, rinsed and patted dry
2 medium cloves garlic, smashed
1 lemon
2 or 3 medium endives, or 1 head radicchio cored & cut into 1/2-inch ribbons
½ cup torn fresh basil
⅓ cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
Sea salt
Optional: a sprinkling of dried currants
Method:
1. Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by ½ inch or so. Bring to a gentle boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for exactly 10 minutes. Have a big bowl of ice water ready and when the eggs are done cooking, place them in the ice bath for 3 minutes or so–long enough to stop the cooking. Peel, grate on a box grater, toss with a couple pinches of salt, and set aside.
2. Bring at least 8 cups of water to a boil, salt the water generously, add the fregola, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes (or follow the package instructions). You want it al dente, not at all mushy. Drain, rinse lightly with cold water, and shake off as much residual moisture as possible.
3. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the capers and garlic and cook until the capers burst and start to brown. Remove from the heat, discard the garlic, and stir in ¼ teaspoon of salt.
4. To serve, transfer the fregola to a large bowl or platter. Pour the contents of the skillet on top of the pasta and give it a good toss. Add the zest from the lemon and about 1½ tablespoons of lemon juice — a good, generous squeeze. Add the endives, basil, and most of the hazelnuts and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning before finishing with the grated eggs, remaining hazelnuts, and currants.
