POACHED HALIBUT STEAKS WITH NICOISE SAUCE

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Poached Halibut Steaks With Nicoise Sauce image

The ingredient that identifies this dish as nicoise is, of course, olives, and in this recipe there are both green and red. Tomatoes are also essential to nicoise cooking, as are olive oil and garlic. This is a colorful and full-flavored dish. A little cayenne gives it a sharp edge.

Provided by Pierre Franey

Categories     dinner, main course

Time 20m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

4 small ripe plum tomatoes, about 1/2 pound
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
4 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley
8 small pitted black nicoise olives, chopped coarse
8 small pitted green nicoise olives, chopped coarse
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 boneless, skinless halibut fillets, about 6 ounces each, or any white fleshed fish, like turbot
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
1 bay leaf
4 parsley sprigs
2 fresh thyme sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried
2 whole cloves
6 black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt to taste

Steps:

  • To make sauce, place tomatoes into boiling water for 10 seconds. Drain and pull away the skins. Cut away and discard core. Cut tomatoes crosswise and cut into 1/4-inch cubes. There should be about 1 cup.
  • Place vinegar in a mixing bowl, and add oil, shallots, garlic, basil, black and green olives, orange rind and salt and pepper. Blend well with a wire whisk. There should be about 1 1/4 cups.
  • To prepare fish, place fillets in a skillet large enough to hold them in one layer. Add enough water to cover fish. Add milk, onions, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, cloves, peppercorns, cayenne and salt.
  • Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish, or until fish flakes easily. Do not overcook.
  • Drain, remove bay leaf, parsley and thyme, and serve hot or warm with sauce.

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