A favorite from L'ESPALIER restaurant, Boston, Ma......
POACHED HALIBUT WITH BLACK
TRUFFLES AND PURPLE-POTATO AND
CRAB GRATIN
At the restaurant the chef garnishes this dish with fresh seasonal flowers, chervil,
and chives.
1/2 pound haricots verts (French thin green beans) or regular green beans
1/2 pound fresh chanterelle mushrooms*
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/3 ounce fresh black truffle* (about 9 grams)
3 shallots
sea salt
six 5-ounce skinless halibut fillets
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon packed fresh tarragon leaves
1 1/4 cups fish stock**
1 cup vin jaune or dry Sherry
parchment paper
*available seasonally at some specialty foods shops and by mail order from
Marché aux Delices, tel. (888) 547-5471
**available at fish markets and specialty foods shops
Accompaniment: purple-potato and crab gratin
Preheat oven to 375°F. Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. Trim beans. In
a saucepan of boiling salted water cook beans until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes,
and with a slotted spoon transfer to ice water to stop cooking. Drain beans well
and pat dry. With a pastry brush gently brush chanterelles to remove any grit and
discard any tough stems. In a large saucepan heat 1 tablespoon oil over moderate
heat until hot but not smoking and cook chanterelles and garlic, stirring, until
liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and mushrooms are softened. With a
truffle slicer slice truffle into paper-thin slices. Finely chop shallots.
In a 3-quart gratin dish (about 15 by 10 by 2 inches) toss together beans,
chanterelles, and sea salt and pepper to taste. Arrange beans and chanterelles
around edge of dish. Arrange halibut fillets about ä inch apart in dish and drizzle
with lemon juice. Sprinkle fillets with thyme, tarragon, truffle, and sea salt and
pepper to taste. Pour stock and vin jaune or Sherry down side of dish, being
careful not to disturb fillets. Sprinkle shallots over fillets and vegetables. Brush 1
side of parchment paper with remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and arrange
parchment, oiled side down, on top of fillets.
Bake fillets in middle of oven until just cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Carefully tilt gratin dish and pour cooking liquid into a small saucepan. Simmer
liquid until reduced to about 1 cup and stir in sea salt and pepper to taste.
Serve fish and vegetables over gratin and top with sauce.
Serves 6.
Gourmet
October 1998
You Asked For It
L'Espalier, Boston MA |
