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Recipes

Pan-Roasted Halibut

Author: Matt Hobbs, Norr
Serves: 4

With Braised Fennel and Orange Brown Butter.

Halibut’s flaky, buttery texture mingles with saucy, anise-spiked braised fennel in this impressive meal. It gets a bit of zest from orange browned butter sauce that ties the dish together beautifully. Add your favorite crunchy salt on top for a restaurant-quality finish.

Ingredients

Braised Fennel 
2 tablespoons blended oil
2 shallots, finely minced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
6 bulbs baby fennel, cut in half lengthwise, fronds removed and saved
1 cup Pernod or any anise flavored liquor
2 cups fish or chicken stock
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
½ tablespoon kosher salt 

Pan-Roasted Halibut
4 (6oz) pieces halibut
Kosher salt
Ground white pepper
¼ cup sunflower seed oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 oranges, zested and juiced 

Garnish
Fennel fronds
Flakey sea salt

Preparation

  1. Braised Fennel: In a large fry pan gently warm the blended oil over medium heat, add shallots, garlic and cook until aromatic. 
  2. Place fennel in and continue to cook until browning begins. Turn the heat down to medium-low and flip the fennel over and add the wine and reduce by half.
  3. Add the stock and butter and simmer until reduced and the sauce glazes the fennel. Reduce to very low and hold warm. 
  4. Pan-Roasted Halibut: Generously season the halibut with salt and white pepper. 
  5. Over medium-high heat the sunflower seed oil until the pan is gently smoking, place halibut into the pan and sear until golden brown for about 4 minutes. Flip the halibut using a fish spatula and add butter and orange juice and zest. 
  6. Allow the butter to slightly brown while basting the fish continuously for 2-3 minutes or until you begin to see coagulated proteins. 
  7. Remove the halibut from the pan and transfer to a small plate. 
  8. Arrange a few pieces of the braised fennel on each plate and top with a piece of halibut. Generously spoon over the orange brown butter and garnish with fennel fronds and flakey sea salt.