POACHED HALIBUT STEAKS WITH NICOISE SAUCE

Poached Halibut Steaks With Nicoise Sauce image

Provided by Pierre Franey

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.