Poached Halibut with Fennel and Chardonnay

One of the delicious benefits of living on the Southern California coast (besides what you think of first such as the fabulous weather and long beach walks)  is that you can get beautiful fresh seafood year around. From the harbor the fisherman go out daily for their seasonal catch and after a successful day you can find lots of good seafood at the Santa Barbara Fish Market. Right now you can get tender and succulent local Halibut, and we were thinking about several easy recipes to showcase this versatile fish with vegetables and of course with wine.

So you can imagine our delight when we received a shiny new Casserole from Anolon which begged to be filled with scrumptious seafood. We love to poach fish in wine but until now we poached the fish on the stove top, so we decided to try poaching in the oven with the Anolon casserole since it can withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees. The halibut doen’s really have a whole lot of flavor on it’s own so you can taste the nuances of all the good healthy veggies in this dish. The fennel gives a slightly minty flavor while the . The recipe evolved when we were at a party talking to aspiring chef Ryan about what we are planning to cook. He suggested adding a little sun-dried tomatoes. This recipe is actually much simpler than it sounds.

The ingredients. Local fresh halibut and veggies.

We got the halibut at the local Santa Barbara Fish Market that day. Joshua gave us excellent fresh halibut and showed us the difference between the fresh white local halibut and how it turns pinker when it is older. You can also order fresh fish and seasonings online at www.sbfish.com

Over medium heat. Start with the grapeseed oil.

Add the butter.

Add the shallots.

Add garlic and  the sundried  tomato and cook for another minute.

Pour in half of the wine.

and let it reduce for a few minutes.

Add fennel and stir.

Cover and cook for about 8 minutes or until fennel is tender.

Add the fresh tomatoes.

Then sprinkle in the parsley.

Mix it up well.

Embed the halibut filets in the vegetables, making sure to leave a thin layer of vegetables at the bottom.

Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon a little of the vegetable mixture over the top so the fish is covered.

Place the lemon slices over the top.

Pour the rest of the wine into the pot.

Garnish with the 3 sprigs of Thyme.

Then put into the oven for 16-18 minutes or until the Halibut flakes with a fork test.

These few items will make a gorgeous crunchy topping. In a small bowl combine panko, olives, oil and Thyme leaves.

Mix up the topping.

The fish is out of the oven and the next step is the topping.

Remove the lemons and thyme and set aside. Spoon the topping mixture over.

Turn oven to 500 degrees or broiler to low heat. Bake or broil for 4 – 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Poached Halibut with Fennel and Chardonnay

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil olive oil

1 Tbsp Butter

2 Shallots – finely chopped

2 Garlic Cloves – finely chopped

1-2 Tbsp Sundried Tomatoes – chopped

1 1/2 cups Chardonnay

1 Fennel bulb – chopped

12 oz Organic Tomato – cut into quarters

4 large Basil Leaves – chopped

1/2 cup Parsley  – chopped

1 1/2 pounds Halibut Filets – cut into 4 pieces

Sea Salt and freshly ground Pepper

1 Lemon – thinly sliced

3 Thyme Sprigs

Topping

1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

1 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil

1/2 cup Pitted Black Olives – sliced

1 tsp fresh Thyme leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat 2 tablespoon grapeseed oil and butter in a 4 quart Casserole over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté for 2 minutes or until shallots are translucent. Add garlic and  the sundried  tomato and cook for another minute. Pour in half of the wine and let it reduce for a few minutes.

Add fennel, stir, cover and cook for about 8 minutes or until fennel is tender.

Add the tomato, basil and parsley. Stir well.

Embed the halibut filets in the vegetables, making sure to leave a thin layer of vegetables at the bottom. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon a little of the vegetable mixture over the top so the fish is covered.

Place the lemon slices over the top. Pour the rest of the wine into the pot. Add 3 sprigs of Thyme.

Then put into the oven for 16-18 minutes or until the Halibut flakes with a fork test.

Turn oven to 500 degrees or broiler to low heat.

In a small bowl combine panko, olives, oil and Thyme leaves. Spread evenly the topping mixture over the fish and vegetables and bake or broil for 4 – 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve immediately.

Wine Pairing: Gainey Chardonnay is delightful with voluptuous citrus, butter and sweet spicy notes and refreshing mineral tones.