Braised Halibut With Leeks Mustard Recipe 445

Steps:

• Sprinkle fish with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over low heat. Place fish in skillet, skinned side up, increase heat to medium, and cook, shaking pan occasionally until butter begins to brown, fish should not brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully transfer fish to a large plate, raw side down. Add leeks, mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until leeks begin to soften, 2 to 4 minutes. Add wine and bring to gentle simmer. Place fish, raw side down, on top of leeks. Cover skillet and cook, adjusting heat to maintain a gentle simmer, until fish registers 135 to 140°F, 10 to 14 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using 2 spatulas, transfer fish and leeks to serving platter or individual plates. Tent loosely with aluminum foil. Return skillet to high heat and simmer briskly until sauce is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir in lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over fish and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges. We prefer to prepare this recipe with halibut, but a similar firm-fleshed white fish such as striped bass or sea bass that is between 3/4 and 1-inch thick can be substituted. To ensure that your fish cooks evenly, purchase fillets that are similarly shaped and uniformly thick.

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a skillet just wide enough to hold the fish. When hot add the vegetables and saute for a minute or so just to get them sizzling. Add the wine, cover and cook over very low heat until wilted, about 10 minutes.
• Set halibut over the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and add stock or broth just to cover. Simmer, covered, over low heat, until fish is just done, about 10 minutes.
• With a slotted spatula, remove haibut from the liquid and divide into two portions. Set each portion in the bottom of a deep soup plate and garnish with carrot threads or snow peas; season the broth and spoon it over the top; garnish with black sesame seeds if you wish.

Steps:

• To prepare the melted leeks, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring only occasionally, until they're golden brown and beginning to shrink a bit, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and reserve.
• Return the skillet to medium heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the butter. Add the leeks to the pan, season them with salt and pepper, then cook, stirring frequently (don't let them get brown), until they've softened, about 10 minutes. Add the white wine and dried oregano to the skillet along with the reserved mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until most of the wine has evaporated, about 5 minutes more. Season as needed with salt and pepper; reserve warm.
• While the leeks are cooking, prepare the gremolata. In a small mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and reserve.
• When the leeks are just about ready, place a second medium skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Season the fish liberally with salt and pepper, and sear it flesh-side down first, turning the fillet only once, until cooked to your liking, about 5 minutes per side for medium (depending on the thickness).
• Serve the melted leeks topped with a piece of fish per plate and a garnish of the gremolata.

Steps:

• Before chopping, rinse thoroughly between the leek leaves and pat dry. Chop the leeks as finely as possible. There should be about 3 1/2 cups.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan and add the leeks. Cook, stirring often from the bottom, about 3 minutes. Add the 2/3 cup of wine and stir. Bring to the boil and cover. Cook 10 minutes. Keep warm.
• Meanwhile, using the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, grease the bottom of a heavy skillet large enough to hold the fish pieces in one layer without crowding. Sprinkle the bottom of the skillet with shallots and arrange the fish pieces over it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of wine over the fish. Bring the wine to a boil and cover the skillet closely. Cook 4 minutes or less until the fish just loses its raw look.
• Transfer the fish pieces to a warm serving platter. Cover closely with foil and keep warm.
• Cook down briefly the skillet liquid to 1/2 cup and then pour it into a saucepan. Add the cream. Bring to a boil and cook over moderately high heat about 4 minutes or until reduced to 3/4 cup. Set aside 6 tablespoons of this sauce to be added to the linguine, which will accompany this dish.
• Spoon four equal portions of the cooked leeks onto four individual serving dishes. Top each portion of the leeks with one piece of fish. Spoon all but the reserved 6 tablespoons of sauce over the fish. If serving with linguine, toss pasta with the reserved sauce and 2 tablespoons butter. Serve alongside the fish.