Best Halibut Poached In Olive Oil With Broccoli Rabe Pesto Recipes

MARIO BATALI'S OVEN-POACHED HALIBUT IN OLIVE OIL

Steps:

• Put a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Pat the fish fillets dry, then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Allow the seasoned fish to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Chop half of the capers.
• Arrange half of the lemon slices in one layer in an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Arrange the fish fillets in one layer over the lemon slices. Top with all of the capers, the remaining lemon slices, and the 3 tablespoons of parsley, then pour the oil over the composed fish.
• Bake, covered, until the fish just flakes and is cooked throughout - 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Serve the fish with some of the lemon slices, capers, and oil spooned over. Sprinkle with parsley leaves.
• COOK'S NOTE:
• To reuse the leftover olive oil, strain it through a paper towel-lined sieve and allow it to cool to room temperature. It will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.
• Recipe adapted from: the website of The Jane Pauley Show (on which the technique was demonstrated).

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI RABE PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Set up a bowl of well-salted ice water. Cook the broccoli rabe in the boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes and then immediately plunge in the salted ice water. This will prevent the broccoli rabe from being overcooked and will set the lovely green color.
• Drain the broccoli rabe and squeeze out any excess water; coarsely chop. Place the broccoli rabe in the bowl of a food processor and puree until it is a coarse paste. Add the pistachios and parmigiano and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning; you probably will need more salt. Add the ricotta and pulse until combined. Taste for seasoning once again-it should be full-flavored, slightly bitter and creamy at the same time. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. (If you are making the pasta right after the pesto, just use the broccoli rabe blanching water.) Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the cooking time on the package.
• While the pasta is cooking, place the pesto in a large skillet and add about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water; place over medium-high heat. When the pasta is ready, drain and add to the skillet with the pesto. Stir vigorously to combine and cook until the sauce is creamy and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes; add salt to taste. Remove from the heat, add 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, if desired, and stir vigorously. Garnish with more parmigiano. Voila!

SWORDFISH POACHED IN OLIVE OIL WITH BROCCOLI RABE PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli rabe and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked broccoli rabe to a large bowl of ice water and let cool, about 3 minutes. Shake off the excess water and transfer to a food processor. Add the garlic, walnuts, honey, salt, and pepper and process until very smooth. With the machine running, gradually pour in the extra-virgin olive oil. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl and stir in the Parmesan. Cover and set aside.
• Combine the olive oil and vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or large, deep saucepan big enough to hold the fish in a single layer. Using a deep-fry thermometer, heat the oil to 200°F over medium-low heat. Reduce the heat to low to sustain the 200°F temperature. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Gently place the fish in the oil, making sure it is submerged. Poach the fish until just cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Place about 1/2 cup of broccoli rabe pesto on each serving plate and gently smooth it out to make a bed for the fish. Using a slotted fish spatula, gently transfer the cooked fish from the poaching oil to the serving plate, placing the fish on top of the bed of pesto. Serve immediately.

HALIBUT POACHED IN OLIVE OIL

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 250 degrees F/120 degrees C.
• Lay the fish fillets in a baking dish just large enough to hold them. Pour over enough oil to cover. Add the orange zest, fennel seed, thyme sprigs, garlic and some pepper. Bake until just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the fish from the oil. Garnish with the fleur de sel. Serve with a little of the cooking oil dribbled over.

OLIVE-OIL POACHED HALIBUT NUGGETS WITH GARLIC AND MINT

Steps:

• Season halibut all over with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. In a medium-size skillet just large enough to hold fish cubes in a single layer, heat oil over low heat. Add fish, rosemary sprig and dried mint, and let cook slowly until fish begins to turn opaque, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in garlic and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and cook until garlic is fragrant and fish is just cooked through, another 3 minutes or so (heat should be low enough so as not to brown the garlic or fish but high enough to gently cook everything; the cooking time will vary widely with your stove).
• Taste and add more salt and pepper and a few drops of lemon juice if desired. Stir in the fresh mint and serve, using a slotted spoon if you want to leave the poaching oil in pan; it is delicious over couscous or potatoes.