This is a dish where a vegetable replaces a typical sauce of a highly seasoned liquid bound or thickened in some manner. Here, the chopped broccoli is braised in garlic oil until meltingly soft, so it is mildly sweet and a little nutty, then it is tossed with confit garlic cloves for richness and a smooth garlic flavor (minus the garlic “heat”), and then roasted almonds are added for crunch and to amplify the nuttiness of the broccoli. This makes a perfect foil to the briny sweetness of fresh halibut. Or any other firm fleshed fish you care to try, such as salmon, cod, etc. Also, it is a great way to use vegetables in a role other than just a side.
INGREDIENTS:
Four 4-6 ounce pieces of halibut filet, skinless 2 cups, or to taste, Broccoli Braised in Garlic Oil with Garlic Confit (see recipe) 8-12 cloves confit garlic (see recipe) ½ to 1 cup roasted almonds, or Marcona almonds, coarsely chopped ½ tablespoon fresh tiny oregano or marjoram leaves, picked from ends of stems Garlic oil to taste as garnish Salt and pepper to taste Olive oil as neededMETHOD:
Place rack in center of oven and heat oven to 400°F.
Film the bone-side (non-skin side) of the halibut with a good coat of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat an oven proof pan over medium-high heat.
While the pan heats, gently warm the broccoli over medium heat.
Heat the garlic cloves gently as well. Doing this in a little garlic oil in the microwave on low is a good way to do this. However you do it, you just want them warmed through and not cooking more.
When the pan is hot, lay the halibut into the pan, oiled side down. Cook 2-3 minutes, until you see the surface is browning and the flesh in contact with the pan has turned opaque 1/8th to ¼ of an inch up. Place the pan into the hot oven and finish cooking. Cooking time is based on 8 minutes per inch of thickness of the fish. So-if the fish is 1 inch thick, it takes 8 minutes to cook total. When the fish is transferred to the oven, subtract the time on the stove-top from the total time, and that is how long it spends in the oven. One way to tell if the fish is done is to press on a corner with your fingertip and if the corner flakes the fish is done. You can also pierce the fish with a metal skewer or a thin bladed knife tip to the center of the fish and then bring it up to the skin below the lower lip. If the probe is hot that means the fish is done. If you do this, be careful! The probe may well be very hot and a knife tip can be very sharp!
When the fish is done, transfer each piece to the center of a plate, then spoon braised broccoli onto the center of each filet. Put 3-4 cloves of confit garlic around each piece of fish, drizzle with a little oil if you wish, then scatter nuts evenly around. Scatter a few of the herbs over the dish and serve.
Chef’s Notes:
This dish will work fine with any robust fish such as halibut, salmon, sea bass, ling cod, etc. If you wish, you could place the fish on a bed of grain such as farrow, spelt, or wheat berries. You could alter the dish a bit by adding finely diced Moroccan Style Salt Preserved Lemons to the broccoli, along with olives.
Yield: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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