The third of four easy-enough recipes by chef Suzanne Goin
By KITTY GREENWALD
Matt Armendariz for The Wall Street Journal;
Chef Suzanne Goin
The Chef: Suzanne Goin
Her Restaurants: Lucques, A.O.C. and Tavern, all in Los Angeles.
What She's Known For: Artful dishes made out of simple yet decadent components; an affinity for chile de árbol.
In this week's recipe, Los Angeles-based chef Suzanne Goin shares a recipe that shines brightly in winter. "As the seasons cool," Ms. Goin explains, "we crave braises and gratins; foods that get rich fast." As an antidote to such excesses, Ms. Goin nestles a seared halibut fillet on top of a fennel and radicchio salad and binds it all together with a not-too-sweet persimmon and pomegranate vinaigrette. The dressing provides the dish with its most pronounced flavor while the delicate halibut maintains a lightness as the dish's centerpiece.
Matt Armendariz for The Wall Street Journal
BALANCING ACT A light and flaky halibut fillet supports the flavors of an earthy pomegranate vinaigrette and refreshing fennel salad.
Each of the components has a different profile that bounces off the others. The mildly anise-flavored salad ensures that the vinaigrette's sweetness doesn't overwhelm, and the light fish keeps things ladylike. "When cooking with fruit," Ms. Goin explains, "you have to make sure to balance." Here macerated shallots, radicchio and tart lemon juice keep the fruit's sweetness from overwhelming the whole.
Ms. Goin binds the persimmon and pomegranate seeds with a judicious amount of pomegranate molasses, a Middle Eastern staple that lends depth to the dressing. Note that Ms. Goin calls for fuyu persimmons—the ones "you can eat like an apple." Heart-shaped hachiya persimmons, she warns, are "totally unpalatable" unless exceedingly ripe. The final result bears Ms. Goin's trademark: a few thoughtful elements that come together to make a clear-headed, decisive dish.
—Kitty GreenwaldThe Recipe Serves 6
Total Time: 30 minutes
Active time: 25 minutes
Active time: 25 minutes
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons finely diced shallot
Juice of ½ a lemon plus 2 teaspoons additional juice
1½ tablespoons pomegranate molasses
½ cup pomegranate seeds
½ cup diced fuyu persimmon, ½-inch cubes
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced, about 3 cups
¼ medium head radicchio torn into bite-size pieces, about 1 cup loosely packed
6 5-ounce Alaskan halibut fillets, about 1-1¼-inch thick
Salt
5 tablespoons finely diced shallot
Juice of ½ a lemon plus 2 teaspoons additional juice
1½ tablespoons pomegranate molasses
½ cup pomegranate seeds
½ cup diced fuyu persimmon, ½-inch cubes
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced, about 3 cups
¼ medium head radicchio torn into bite-size pieces, about 1 cup loosely packed
6 5-ounce Alaskan halibut fillets, about 1-1¼-inch thick
Salt
What to Do:
1. In a small bowl, stir together shallots, 2 teaspoons lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of salt. Let rest for 5 minutes. Whisk in pomegranate molasses and ½ cup of olive oil. Fold in pomegranate seeds, persimmon and parsley.
2. In a medium bowl, toss fennel and radicchio with the juice of ½ a lemon, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
3. Set a large sauté pan over high heat. (Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook the fish in batches or in two pans.) Season both sides of the filets with salt. Swirl 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan and wait 1 minute. Carefully lay the fish in the pan. Cook 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned.
4. Turn the fish over, lower the heat to medium-low and cook a few more minutes, or until almost cooked through. When done, the fish will begin to flake and the center will be slightly translucent. Remember, the halibut will continue to cook a bit once out of the pan.
5. To serve, arrange the salad on plates or a large platter. Place the fish on top of the salad and spoon generous helpings of the pomegranate-persimmon vinaigrette on top.
No comments:
Post a Comment