Halibut Poached in Bacon Broth

So I have to say that I love love love seafood.  I have ever since I was a kid, when we would go to a local seafood restaurant called Seven Seas that was all decorated up so that it seemed you were dining 'under the sea.'  (you know, paper Mâché cave walls with fake crabs, lobsters, starfish, treasure chests and even mermaids and King Neptune decorating the place)  Why don't they have restaurants like that any more?

Oh well, despite my love of seafood as a kid, I didn't discover halibut until I was an adult.  And I have to say, it has become one of my favorite fruits of the sea.  It's startlingly full flavored for a whitefish, which are usually sort of bland.  (I'm looking at you, Cod)  No, halibut is meaty and buttery and savory and practically melts in your mouth.  That is to say, it doesn't need much adornment.  I usually just grill it and serve with a little lemon/butter/caper sauce and that's that.

But, my wife got me a new cookbook for Christmas--a bacon cookbook of all things.  In it was this little recipe, which I've modified slightly, but I can affirm that bacon and halibut were truly a match made in heaven, or perhaps 'under the sea.'

Ingredients

8 strips bacon
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 onion
3 carrots
2 celery stalks
4 cloves garlic
2 sprigs fresh dill
10 black peppercorns
4 halibut fillets



Fry four of the strips of the bacon until crisp.

Reserve.

Quarter and peel your onion

And brown it in the bacon grease with the chopped carrots and celery

Add white wine and deglaze pan.

Get yourself a handful of peppercorns, no more than 10-12.

Add peppercorns and fresh fill

Enjoy that fresh dill aroma that wafts up from the pan.

Add chicken broth

With the flat of a kitchen knife, crush your garlic cloves and peel.

Add peeled garlic cloves to stock.

Add four uncooked strips of the bacon along with the crumbles from two of the cooked bacon strips.  (reserve the other two for garnish)

Brintg to a boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer for 1 hour, covered.

Strain broth into a container and discard solids.  You should have about a two cups of broth.

Note the fat that has separated and is floating on the top of the broth.  You can skim this off for a leaner dish.  Also, if you make the broth early enough, refrigerate it for an hour and the fat will solidify and be easier to remove.

Add skimmed bacon broth back to skillet

Heat it to a gentle simmer.  Enjoy aroma--this stuff is fantastic--I hope you've tasted it by now, because it is wonderful, bacon-y and savory and so on and so on, with a rich brown color.  

Poach Halibut fillets in broth until done

I use a food thermometer and cook them to just to 145 degrees F.  By this time the fillets will have absorbed some of the broth as you can see here:

Serve with some of the thickened broth as a sauce.  You can thicken it with a little cornstarch or just reduce the sauce over high heat.

Until next time,


See you 'Under the Sea,'


Chris

Halibut en Papillote

Ingredients


2 Halibut Steaks
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, Sliced
1 Teaspoon Basil
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 Cloves Garlic, Peeled and Sliced
2 Tablespoons Capers
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar


Halibut is truly one of the most delightful of fishes--when you can get it.  It is definitely a seasonal thing, and it seems to be available at just certain times a year--even frozen.  I try to snap up as much as I can when I see it and keep it in the deep freeze for making wonderful dishes like this one.

En Papillote simply means 'in paper' in French, and that's because, yes, we'll be cooking the fish in a paper pouch.  Sounds weird, but actually this is a great technique that is easy to do and practically foolproof.  If you're worried about being able to cook your hard-won halibut perfectly, you can't go wrong with this technique.  The fish steams in its own juices, and all you have to do is time it right and it will come out perfect--no worries about overcooking.

The en papillote method also makes for a neat presentation--you can serve the dish right in the same pouch you cooked it in, ensuring the fish is piping hot when it gets to your table.

Halibut en Papillote

Preheat Oven to 400˚F.

Season the Halibut Steaks with salt and pepper.

Slice your tomatoes...

then add them with the rest of the ingredients to a bowl and mix well.

Tear off about a 20 inch run of parchment paper.  Place one of the halibut steaks on the paper to one side, leaving a couple inches space on three sides (and quite a few more on the forth).

Spoon half your tomato mixture over the fish,

then fold over the long side of the parchment paper, lining up the corners.  Fold the three open sides over a couple of times and staple, making a nice little rectangular package.

Repeat with the other halibut steak.

Place both packets on a tray and slide them in your oven.

Bake for 14 minutes.  You should hear a nice sizzling sound coming from the packets when they are done.

Serve immediately.  You can plate the packet and serve just like this, letting your guests tear open the packet and eat the fish right out of it.

Warn them to be careful...lots of hot steam in the packet.

You can also open the packets and plate everything as well, as I've done here.

Until next time,

Why not cook this one...just for the halibut!


Chris