This is a hearty, earthy dish excellent for cold winter nights and for high-protein, low-fat diets (this preparation gets fewer than 24% of its calories from fat). Any thick fillet of white fish will work - try cod, rockfish, or sea bass - but halibut is perfect as it absorbs flavors from the sauce and isn’t too oily. Serve this for guests or family with a sliced, warm baguette and a simple green salad with a bite: add arugula, radicchio, and shaved pecorino romano cheese and dress with lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and herbs.
1. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a deep, heavy skillet. Saute the garlic and onions until translucent, then add the tomatoes and cook until the skins come off and a sauce forms in the pan.
2. Add the broth, wine, beans, and spices (except the cayenne) to taste. The beans will absorb a good amount of the seasonings, so be generous - especially with the cumin and pepper. Leave the bay leaf in the sauce to simmer.
3. Heat a small amount of oil in another skillet. Rinse the fish under cold running water, and dust with salt and pepper on both sides. Sear the fish one or two fillets at a time, then cook for about 5 minutes on both sides, or until it flakes easily with a fork at the densest point. Sprinkle with cayenne and lemon juice and transfer to a warm oven.
4. When the sauce is cooked down and thickened, remove the bay leaf and ladle the sauce into wide soup plates or shallow bowls. Serve the fish over the sauce, and garnish with lemon wedges.
When it comes to seafood, often simplest is best - quick and easy cooking techniques ensure that fish retains its natural flavor and keeps it from becoming overcooked or dry. Pan sauté any thin fillet – halibut, swordfish, tuna, salmon, sole, tilapia – or even lobster meat or scallops, and serve drizzled in piccata, a classic Italian sauce that shows off the succulence of fish oils and balances them with sea-salty brine.With just a couple of ingredients that you can keep on hand at all times, you can have a light and yet robustly-flavored meal ready in a matter of minutes.
handful of flour (this can be omitted for gluten-free diets), poured onto a plate
olive oil
3 T butter
4-5 shallots, minced
½ lemon, thinly sliced
¼ cup white wine or dry vermouth
1-2 T capers
salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1.Heat a little olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a heavy skillet over high heat.Rinse the fish in cold running water, dust each side with salt and pepper, and dredge the fillets in the flour.
2.When the oil is hot, gently place two of the fillets in the skillet, sautéing until golden and then turning them over and browning on both sides.Remove from heat and keep warm in the oven while you cook the second two fillets the same way.
3.Pour the used oil and any bits from the skillet and return it to the heat.Add 1 tablespoon of butter and allow it to melt.Add the shallots and 4 or 5 lemon slices, sautéing until the shallots turn golden and translucent.Pour in the wine or vermouth, and stir briskly with a wooden spoon or small whisk.Remove the lemon slices, and place them over the fish fillets.
4.Add the rest of the butter to the pan, along with the capers.Let the sauce thicken, and add salt and pepper to taste.
5.Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve immediately with crusty bread to mop up leftover sauce.A crisp green salad and orzo cooked with chilies and saffron make nice accompaniments.
This is a simple and relatively fail-safe way to prepare a large amount of fish for a hungry crowd.Its warmth and rustic flavors are a great addition to any holiday table, and leftovers can easily be converted to soup or stew.
1 lb. small red or fingerling potatoes, washed – halve any large ones and leave the rest whole
olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
1 sprig fresh rosemary
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
½ cup dry white wine
3 T butter, cut into cubes
1.Boil the potatoes in salted water with the whole sprig of rosemary for around 15 minutes, or until potatoes are partially (but not fully) cooked, then drain and set aside.
2.Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.Heat the oil in a large, ovenproof skillet and sauté the onion until translucent.Add the garlic and tomatoes and sauté a few minutes longer, until the garlic is fragrant.
3.Place the fish in the skillet, and cover with the tomato-onion mixture.Surround the fish with the potatoes and pour the wine over everything.Strip the thyme from its twigs and sprinkle the leaves over the fish.Do the same with the tarragon.Dust the entire contents of the skillet with salt and pepper.
4.Bake under foil (or skillet lid) for 22-25 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily at its densest point.Remove the roast from the oven, dot with the butter cubes, and recover.Let it stand for a few minutes, until the butter melts.Serve warm with hot crusty bread.
Rule #1 when purchasing seafood: know your source. As with any exchange where quality matters, it pays to do a little research, and to establish trustworthy relationships with your fishmongers. Case in point - a man in Bellevue, Washington, was recently found guilty of purchasing more than 65 tons of turbot from China, and then repackaging the lot and selling it in the US as halibut. While both are tasty members of the flatfish family, turbot average around 30-40 pounds - and halibut can reach 400. Halibut steaks also tend to be somewhat denser than turbot, are fished in Alaskan waters
![[del.icio.us]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Digg]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png)
![[Facebook]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[Google]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png)
![[MySpace]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/myspace.png)
![[Newsvine]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/newsvine.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Twitter]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
![[Yahoo!]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/yahoo.png)
![[Email]](http://www.alaskaharvest.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png)
