It was such a treat to get away to Cape Henlopen on the Eastern Shore in Delaware last week. Gorgeous weather, beautiful beach scapes, long walks, great shops in Lewes for bread and cheese and wine and....what more is there?
Oh yes, fresh fish. What a novel concept: a real fishmonger. At Lewes Fishhouse we picked up some fresh (no, never ever frozen) Halibut and Ahi Tuna. We were like kids in a candy store. There was so much to chose from.
On the drive home I Googled recipes and came across Ottolenghi's Nut crusted Halibut served over an arugula/parsley Vichyssoise style purée. We had most of the ingredients at home except arugula, parsley and leeks!! But we were determined to not make a special trip to the supermarket. So, I adapted the recipe a tad, and replaced all the greens with spinach.
Here's my adaptation for about 1 lb (450g) of Halibut:
Ingredients
For the nut butter:
5 tablespoons (75g) unsalted butter, diced
1 oz (28g) shelled pistachios
1 oz (28g) pine nuts
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
For the spinach vichyssoise and the halibut fillets:
5 oz (140g) fresh spinach (adapt accordingly for frozen)
2 tbsp EVOO, divided
1 1/2 tbsp (20g) unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large all-purpose potato, peeled and cut into 3/4" pieces (6oz/170g)
2 cups (0.5L) chicken stock
1 lb of halibut fillet
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Coarse sea salt and black pepper
Method for the nut butter
Lightly toast the nuts in a sauté pan, cool and coarsely chop . Melt the butter until golden brown and strain into a small bowl. Add the nuts, sugar, lemon juice and salt and mix well. Pour out onto some parchment paper on a plate and pop in the freezer until the butter has set. Cut the nut butter into rectangles roughly the size of your filet/s. Place back in the fridge until you need it.
Method for the Vichyssoise and Fish
Preheat oven to 400° F
Place 1 tbsp EVOO and the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring until soft but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the potato and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently.
Pour over the chicken stock and bring to boil over medium-high heat, simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until potato is cooked but still firm. Remove pan from heat and mix in the spinach, along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of black pepper. Transfer to a blender, blitz well until completely smooth, return to pan and set aside until ready to use. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Place the halibut fillet/s onto a parchment-lined baking pan and brush them with the remaining EVOO. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until the halibut is almost cooked.
Remove the fish from the oven and lay a rectangle of nut butter on top of each fillet.
Turn the broiler on to 400° F.
Place the fish under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the butter melted.
Remove from the oven and squeeze over the lemon juice.
Warm the vichyssoise and spoon it onto a plate or shallow bowl. Lay a halibut fillet on top and serve at once.
Fresh bread is always useful to mop up the sauce!