PAN-SEARED HALIBUT WITH OLIVE OIL POTATOES

Pan-Seared Halibut With Olive Oil Potatoes image

Provided by Alex Witchel

Time 1h45m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds (3 medium) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
Sea salt
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 1/2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Half a small anchovy fillet
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves plus 2 whole sprigs
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
White pepper
1/4 cup milk
1/2 pound plus 3 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
2 large red bell peppers, cored and seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned broth
1 teaspoon saffron threads
2 pinches cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds halibut fillet, skin removed, cut into 4 equal pieces
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

Steps:

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender when pierced with a knife. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 clove sliced garlic. Sauté over low heat until lightly golden, then add anchovy and 1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves. Transfer to a small food processor and add olives, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon cold water. Purée until smooth and season to taste with white pepper; set aside.
When potatoes are tender, drain and put through a food mill or mash them. Return to pot and place over low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until potatoes start to stick to pot, then slowly add milk, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 pound butter. Stir until very smooth, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm.
In a medium saucepan, combine remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with 3 cloves sliced garlic. Sauté over medium heat until garlic is aromatic. Add shallot and sauté until translucent. Stir in peppers, 1 teaspoon salt and sugar. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken stock and saffron; simmer, partially covered, until peppers are tender, about 8 minutes. Purée in a food processor, blender or with an immersion blender, and pass through a fine sieve. Transfer to a small pan and season with cayenne and salt to taste. Add 2 tablespoons butter and whisk or blend until frothy. Set aside and keep warm.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Season halibut fillets with salt and pepper to taste. Place a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and add grapeseed oil. When oil is hot, add fillets presentation-side down. Cook for 1 minute on stove top, then place in oven for 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven and return to stove top on medium heat. Add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter to pan. When it starts to foam, add remaining 2 cloves garlic and sprigs of thyme. Baste fish with butter for 1 minute. Remove fillets from pan when undersides are golden brown.
To serve, place a large spoonful of potatoes in middle of four wide-rimmed plates or shallow soup bowls. Top with a halibut fillet, seared-side up. Place a spoonful of olive mixture on each fillet. Bring bell pepper emulsion to a boil and whisk until foamy, then pour around potatoes.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 1124, UnsaturatedFat 43 grams, Carbohydrate 44 grams, Fat 89 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 40 grams, SaturatedFat 40 grams, Sodium 1522 milligrams, Sugar 9 grams, TransFat 2 grams