Recipe: Halibut Fillets with Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette

HALIBUT FILLETS WITH ROASTED TOMATO VINAIGRETTE



"Halibut is one of my favorite fish because of its mild, sweet flavor and big, white, satiny flakes. I like to dip the fillets lightly in bread crumbs before sauteing them, so their tops and bottoms come out pale gold with a pebbly, crunchy texture. The tomatoes are roasted in a very hot oven until their skins blister, which intensifies their flavor and adds a slight smokiness. (It's a basic technique in Mexican cooking.) Then they're pureed, skin and all, with olive oil, a touch of mustard, balsamic vinegar (for roundness), and red wine vinegar (for sharpness) until they turn into a creamy, pumpkin-colored vinaigrette. The vinaigrette is also good with snapper, bass, or sole fillets; tuna or swordfish steaks; and scallops, shrimp, or crab meat. Not to mention roast or grilled vegetables, or spooned over steaming rice or grains!"

FOR THE ROASTED TOMATO VINAIGRETTE:
1/2 pound ripe plum tomatoes (about 3 medium)
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, preferably French
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar (or 3 1/2 teaspoons vinegar of one type)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black or white pepper to taste
FOR THE FISH:
3 to 4 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 (7 ounces each) halibut fillets, each 3/4-1-inch thick
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
OPTIONAL GARNISH:
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F with the rack at the top for the tomatoes. (You can also use a toaster oven for this.)

Rinse and dry the tomatoes and cut them in half lengthwise. Place them, cut side down, on a baking sheet or pan with a couple of inches between them.

Roast the tomatoes until the skins are blistered and popping off, and the flesh is soft when pressed, about 15 minutes. If the skins have blackened a little, all the better-it adds a good smoky flavor. Remove the pan from the oven and place the tomatoes on a plate to cool for 5 minutes.

Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

Place the tomatoes, blistered skins and all, in the jar of a blender (or processor, but the blender makes it smoother) with the garlic, mustard, balsamic and red wine vinegars, and puree them until the mixture is well amalgamated, about 1 minute. While continuing to puree, gradually add the 1/4 cup olive oil until the mixture has become creamy and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper and set it aside. (It can be refrigerated for a week, but take it out an hour before serving to remove the chill.)

TO COOK THE FISH:
Place the bread crumbs on a plate. Season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper and lightly press each side into the bread crumbs. Place a large ovenproof skillet (or 2 medium ones) over medium-high heat with the butter or olive oil (1 1/2 teaspoons per pan, if using 2). When the butter has frothed and subsided (or the olive oil is hot), place the fillets in the skillet, round side down, and saute until they're pale gold, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn them over with a metal spatula and put the skillet in the oven until the fillets are just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. To check, place the end of your metal spatula or a paring knife between the flakes of the thickest part of one fillet and gently push the flesh open to see if it is white and opaque throughout; it's ready if it is.

TO SERVE:
Place the halibut fillets on warm dinner plates, spoon some of the room-temperature tomato vinaigrette next to each, and sprinkle everything with the thyme, if using it. Serve right away.

Makes 4 servings
Source: Great Fish, Quick by Leslie Revsin