Oil-Poached Halibut with Tomatoes and Fennel |
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Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cook Time: 60 Minutes |
Ready In: 105 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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Fennel and tomatoes go silky when poached in olive oil, and when halibut follows suit, it picks up hints of the vegetables' flavor and becomes succulent and delicately nuanced. Ingredients:
8 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled |
3 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed, reserving some fronds for garnish, and bulbs (including core) cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices |
1 1/2 pound small (1 1/2- to 2-inch) tomatoes (preferably campari), halved |
1 teaspoon fennel seeds |
1 teaspoon sugar |
1 turkish or 1/2 california bay leaf |
3 (3- by 1-inch) strips orange zest |
1 quart extra-virgin olive oil |
1 (2 1/2-pound) piece skinless halibut fillet (about 1 1/2 inches thick) |
Directions:
1. Simmer garlic, fennel bulbs, tomatoes, fennel seeds, sugar, bay leaf, zest, and 1 teaspoon salt in oil, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender but still intact, 30 to 40 minutes.
2. While vegetables simmer, rub fish with 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and let stand 10 to 20 minutes.
3. Transfer vegetables to a bowl with a slotted spoon, then submerge fish in oil (if necessary, to lift level of oil, return vegetables to pot) and cover surface of oil with parchment paper. Cook fish over medium heat (without simmering) 5 minutes and remove from heat. Let fish cook from residual heat (still covered with parchment) until just cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Carefully transfer fish to a platter using 2 metal spatulas. Discard bay leaf. Surround with vegetables. Drizzle with some of oil and sprinkle with chopped fronds. Serve warm or at room temperature.
5. Cooks' note: Vegetables and fish can be cooked 1 day ahead. Remove from oil to cool, then chill in oil, covered. Reheat to warm over low heat, 10 to 15 minutes, before removing from oil.
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