Pan Roasted Halibut, with Patti Pan Squash, Fava Beans, Shaved Purple Asparagus, Micro Greens, and Chive Oil
Prep Time: 20 min. Cook Time: 20 min. Serves: 2
The great thing about fresh seafood is that it reflects the seasons and allows the perfect accompaniment to seasonal vegetables. Halibut s tender, flavorful, and a great partner for the squash and fava beans in this recipe. Though it is a bit pricier than some of the other fish in the seafood case, it’s well worth it. Halibut is served with the skin removed so if you are not comfortable enough removing the skin yourself make sure to ask your seafood provider to do it for you.
If you have a hard time tracking down the squash and fava beans, check your local farm market. Bishop’s in Guilford is currently carrying both, as well as the beautiful micro greens for the salad in this recipe. When cooking the squash, beans and asparagus, use a small amount of oil. When the begin to soften and become tender, add a tbsp or so of water or stock and toss in a pat of butter. This should provide a light sauce and help the ingredients come together a little more.
Chive oil is a great simple dressing for salads and is a breeze to make. Simply grab a handful of fresh chives and throw them in the blender with a cup of olive oil and blend on high. The vibrant color is matched by the bright flavor. Feel free to dress is up with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt as well.
Ingredients:
- Two 6 oz halibut fillets; skin off
- 1 cup patti pan squash; quartered
- ½ cup fava beans; shelled
- 3 stalks purple asparagus; shaved with vegetable peeler
- 1 tbsp parsley; finely chopped
- 1 tbsp basil; finely chopped
- ⅓ cup mache greens; picked
- ⅓ cup micro greens
- ½ cup fresh chives
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic; minced
- ½ shallot, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp water or vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Season halibut liberally on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside. Add your chives and olive oil along with fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt to a blender and set to high until the chives are completely emulsified into the oil. Set aside
Set a large pan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Add in your chopped shallot and garlic and saute until fragrant before adding your squash and fava beans to the pan. Continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until the squash and beans have softened. At this point, add in your asparagus along with the tbsp of stock and butter. Toss everything together until a light sauce begins to form. Add in the chopped parsley and basil and season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, set another pan over high heat and add the remaining tbsp of vegetable oil. Once the pan is very hot and smoke starts to lightly rise from the pan, carefully add in the fish. Slowly lower each piece into the pan away from you so no hot oil splashes back. Slightly lower the heat and cook the fish until you can see browning at the edges. Gently look to see if a good sear has formed before flipping the fish over and cooking only briefly (30 seconds to a minute). Remove the fish from the pan and allow to briefly drain on a paper towel. Dress your greens in a small bowl with the reserved chive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper before serving over the fish.