In this recipe, Chef Dubinsky’s unusual technique for cooking the halibut—a cross between roasting, braising and poaching— ensures moist and flavorful fish.
Ingredients
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1¼ cups Chardonnay
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup baby kale, packed
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked and minced
- 3 tablespoons pitted olives (Castelvetrano if possible), sliced
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 skinless halibut fillets, about 6 ounces each
Directions
To make beans, heat ½ cup olive oil in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add garlic, shallot and chili flakes and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook for another 2 minutes. Add vinegar and turn heat to high. Reduce vinegar by half, then add 1 cup Chardonnay, again reducing by half. Add stock and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
Turn heat to medium and add beans. Simmer for 10–15 minutes until cooking liquid thickens slightly, then mix in kale, thyme, olives, capers, butter and juice of the lemon.
The beans should have a fair amount of liquid, like a thick stew; if necessary, add a little stock to loosen, or cook further to thicken. Add salt, if needed. Keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.
To cook halibut, heat oven to 300°F. Add remaining olive oil and wine to a large nonstick sauté pan (almost all are oven-safe up to at least 350°F) and place in oven for 10 minutes. Pat halibut dry and season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Add to pan and cook for at least 10 minutes, until it flakes easily with a fork (cooking time will depend on thickness of fillet).
Place halibut atop the bean stew in shallow bowls. Serves 4.
