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Porcini Crusted Roast Wild Halibut, Preserved Lemon Broth with
Shiitake Mushrooms, Red Peppers & White Beans, Crisp Roasted Garlic
Polenta Cake
Do you really want to try this at home? Its a little involved, but
its not as if we open a can and presto/chango you have this dish.
Well if you're brave; It's not easy and with luck everything will
work out.
If not, let me know. Ok, here we go.
Total List of Ingredients
(to feed four as a main course with some extra stuff, and it has to
be
started at least 3 weeks and preferably 6 weeks in advance):
4 - six ounce fat center cut pieces Wild Halibut
2 T Dried Pulverized Porcini Mushrooms (or the powder available in
specialty stores
Kosher Salt
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
melted butter
1/2 cup decent quality white wine (we cook with good chardonnay)
4 cups quality homemade fish stock or bottled clam juice (watch the
salt)
4 sprigs thyme, 4 sprigs parsley
1/2 a lemon
1 t whole black peppercorns
the remains of two preserved lemons, cut julienne (info to follow)
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
1 cup julienne red peppers
1 cup cooked white beans (or canned, rinse well)
Fresh Lemon Juice
4 oz. (T) whole butter (unsalted, of course; that's why they make
salt, so you can decide how much to add)
Kosher Salt (or did I already say that)
snipped fresh chives or minced scallions for garnish
1 cup stone cut yellow cornmeal or (Aunt Jemimas)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup milk
1 cup water
2 T butter
2 heads of roasted garlic, (cloves removed, skins discarded; I have
to assume that you know how to roast garlic.)
Ready:
For the lemons:
6 nice unblemished perfect lemons
kosher salt
fresh lemon juice (preferably: bottled if necessary)
a very clean jar with a tight fitting lid
Wash and dry the lemons, cut into quarters lengthwise, put in a bowl
and toss with about 1/4 cup kosher salt. Put in the jar, add another
2 T of salt, and fill to top with lemon juice. Put the lid on the
jar. Leave at room temperature. Shake once a day for at least three
weeks; (six weeks would be better). When you are ready to use the
lemons, take out what you are going to use and remove the flesh and
the pith from the peel. SAVE THE PEELS and discard the flesh and the
pith. Julienne the peels and set aside for the recipe.
For the polenta:
Butter an 8" by 8" glass baking dish (like you would use for
brownies).
In a heavy pot, heat up one cup of milk with 3/4 cup water, the
roasted garlic and 2 T butter.
In a bowl, mix the cornmeal, parmesan, 1/2 t salt and 20 grinds
black pepper.
When the liquids boil add the cornmeal mix to the pot using a wooden
spoon and whisk until smooth: then stir with wooden spoon constantly
until the polenta (it has now changed from cornmeal to polenta, or
as my mom used to call it mamaligga) pulls away from the side of the
pot.
Turn out into the buttered baking dish, smooth over, cover with
saran wrap, let sit at room temp for 30 minutes, while you preheat
the oven to 400 degrees. Remove saran wrap and bake in oven 20
minutes, then remove from oven and refrigerate until cold. (can be
done in the morning for that evening).
For the broth (if you want to get fancy you can call it a "nage"):
Bring 4 cups of fish stock to a boil, add thyme, parsley, lightly
squeeze a half lemon in, add a teaspoon of whole black peppercorns,
turn off the heat and let infuse for 30 minutes. Strain through a
fine sieve and set aside.
NOW Lets set the fish up to roast.
Preheat oven to 400 or maybe 425.
Place the halibut on a lightly greased cookie sheet, sprinkle
lightly with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, lightly cover
with porcini powder. Roast at 400 until it's done. If the fish is an
inch thick it will take between 9 and 10 minutes. Don't keep
checking it because every time you open the oven door the temperature
goes down and it will take longer to cook.
Cut the polenta into whatever shape you like (I usually cut it into
3 or 3 1/2 inch rounds). Heat up a frying pan that will fit 4 cakes,
heat the pan and then add some vegetable oil and a little butter;
brown the polenta cakes on both sides and then put them in the oven
to heat all the way through.
Make the broth with the veg:
In a pot, heat up some butter, add shiitakes and red peppers, wilt
lightly. Add the cooked beans, preserved lemons and maybe a little
salt and pepper; when hot, in about 45 seconds add the white wine
(carefully; it may flame up). Add the strained stock and bring to a
boil. turn down to a simmer and add 2 T whole butter (cut the butter
into chunks first).
OK, we're almost done.
In 4 beautiful bowls, ladle in equal amounts of broth with the veg
in it. Place a polenta cake in the middle of the bowl and place the
halibut on top of the polenta cake. Sprinkle with snipped chives.
Eat! Serve a really good, fat, buttery, rich chardonnay with this
because you deserve it.
If you wanted an easy recipe, you'll have to ask someone else.
This is why you pay more for a dish like this when you eat out. Its
involved but not boring, very tasty and worth every penny a good
chef will charge.
so. . .everyone's different.
That's why there are so many interesting and a few great restaurants
in Cape May.
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