Pan Roasted Halibut Fillets and Cheeks

by Nancy Oakes and Pamela Mazzola with Lisa Weiss
from Boulevard
(Ten Speed Press, 2005)
Serves 4

“Are they here yet?” That’s the call that mycologist and mushroom purveyor Connie Green hears from the Boulevard kitchen at least a month before fresh morels are actually available. By the time March arrives, we don’t want to see another parsnip, rutabaga, or turnip. By April, we definitely anticipate the arrival of fresh morels and all of the delights of spring. So when English peas, green garlic, fava beans, and fresh morels arrive in the kitchen at the same time, carpe diem — seize the day! It’s certainly a full-blown restaurant production to prepare two “cuts” of halibut, but with all of these spring vegetables along with the fresh morels, it’s a splendid way to celebrate the arrival of spring.

At the restaurant, we use two types of halibut: California, which is a bit smaller and leaner, and Alaskan, which is larger, fattier, and thicker. Halibut cheeks are relatively unknown outside coastal fishing ports, but many people consider them the best part of the fish. They’re denser than the fillets and have a more concentrated sweetness, much like scallops, which can be substituted in this recipe. Alaskan halibut cheeks can be ordered by mail. Because halibut is such a lean fish, it can quickly overcook, so err on the side of being underdone, and let it finish cooking outside the oven.

Fresh morels make their appearance in spring and can be purchased throughout the summer. Look for those that are firm and dry with no damp, soft spots or off odor. Morels can be as short as 1/2 inch or up to 4 inches long. For this recipe, choose small- to medium-size specimens about 2 inches in length. To clean fresh morel mushrooms, we use the “soak and float” method: Put them into a large bowl of cold water, swish them around, then let them sit for a few seconds until they float to the surface. The dirt will settle to the bottom of the bowl. Scoop out the morels, drain the water, and repeat the procedure 2 or 3 times. Spread the morels out on a sheet pan or plate lined with paper towels and pat dry. You can do this a few hours ahead of time, then set them aside at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Pea shoots and pea tendrils (the smaller, more delicate, curly ends of the shoots) were once only seen in Chinese markets. Today you can find them at many upscale urban grocers and farmers’ markets. The cut ends of the shoots can often be dry and tough, so we prefer the tendrils, which are sweet and delicately flavored. The freshest fava beans have smooth, firm, moist-looking pods. For this recipe, their size doesn’t matter, however, smaller fava beans are sweeter. Immature bulbs of garlic, called green garlic, arrive — usually in farmers’ markets — in the spring. They look like giant green onions with bulbous white ends and have a very sweet, delicate flavor.—Nancy Oakes and Pamela Mazzola

convert Ingredients
For the morel mushroom jus
1/2 ounce dried morel mushrooms
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 black peppercorns
3 thyme sprigs
2 cups chicken stock

For the green garlic pesto
2 cups chopped green garlic, white and green parts
2 cups loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the spring vegetables
1/2 pound English peas, shelled (1/2 cup shelled)
20 sugar snap peas, stems and strings removed
1/2 cup shelled fava beans
1/4 pound pea shoots or tendrils

For the halibut
1 tablespoon olive oil
Four 4-ounce pieces halibut fillets, skin on
1/2 pound halibut cheeks or sea scallops
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

24 fresh morel mushrooms (each about 2 inches long), cleaned, or dried morels
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Method
Make the morel Mushroom jus
1. Soak the dried mushrooms in the hot water in a small bowl for 15 minutes. Drain and discard the water.

2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and shallot and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the wine, then add the morels. Add the peppercorns, thyme sprigs, and chicken stock. Increase the heat to high and cook until the liquid has reduced by half.

3. Put the morels and their liquid into a blender or food processor and pulse until the mushrooms are coarsely chopped (be careful not to purée them). Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard the solids. You should have about 3/4 cup jus. Set aside or refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Make the green garlic pesto
1. Trim off the tough green ends from the garlic. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the garlic for about 5 minutes, or until it’s tender and softened but still green. Using tongs, remove the garlic and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Scoop out with a sieve or slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.

2. Blanch the parsley leaves in the same boiling water for 30 seconds, then scoop out and plunge into the bowl of ice water. Drain and transfer to the plate with the garlic.

3. Put the garlic and parsley into a blender and purée with 1/4 cup of the olive oil. With the machine running slowly, slowly add the remaining 3/4 cup olive oil until the mixture has formed an emulsion. It may be necessary to stop and scrape down the sides of the blender several times with a rubber spatula. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Using the spatula, press the pesto through a medium- or fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. The pesto will be quite thick but you should have about 3/4 cup. Set aside or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Make the vegetables
1. Bring the same pot of water back to a boil (unless you made the pesto ahead of time). Blanch the English peas and sugar snap peas together for 1 minute and drop into another bowl of cold water. Drain and set aside.

Make the halibut
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Season the skin side of the halibut fillets and both sides of the halibut cheeks with salt and pepper.

2. Put the halibut fillets in the pan, skin side down. Saute for 1 minute, then add the cheeks to the pan. Saute both for about 2 minutes more, or until golden brown. Turn all the fish over and sprinkle just the fillets with a little salt. Put the pan into the oven and roast for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the fillets are springy to the touch and the center is translucent (make a discreet cut with a knife to check). Remove the pan from the oven before the fish seems done; the residual heat will finish the cooking.

To serve
1. If using dried morels, rehydrate as directed for morel mushroom jus. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the morels and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, or until lightly browned. Add the mushroom jus and reduce until the liquid is thick and syrupy.

2. Swirl in the butter. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the favas, English peas, and sugar snap peas and cook for 1 minute. Add the pea shoots and water and cook for about 30 seconds, or until the pea shoots have softened. Stir in the pesto. The vegetables should move freely in the sauce; add a little water if the mixture is too thick. Taste for salt and pepper and season if necessary.

3. Place some of the vegetables into the center of 4 warm dinner plates. Place a halibut fillet on top of the vegetables and top with the halibut cheeks. Spoon the morel jus over, making sure each plate is topped with some of the morels.

Recipe © 2005 by Nancy Oakes, Pamela Mazzola, Lisa Weiss. All rights reserved.
© 2009 Leite’s Culinaria, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use.