This Wednesday was another instance of Derek coming up with a "quick" meal that ends up taking quite some time. When I had already suggested heating up leftover curried cauliflower soup and and making grilled cheese, Derek felt inclined to put on his chef's hat and make something "simple" from Ad Hoc. I told him "fine" (though on Wednesday post-spin class nights, I prefer something quick and easy) as long as I didn't have to do anything.
The original recipe called for cod and we were a bit disappointed when we got to the store and there was no cod to be found. Luckily, sitting there in the case were a couple beautiful pieces of halibut - a fine substitute.
The basic recipe seems very straightforward - breadcrumb/herb/mustard crusted fish served over cooked asparagus and carrot. It was the technique and preparation, however, that ended up making this a bit more difficult. I'm sure you could simply boil, saute, or steam up some cut up asparagus and carrots and serve them alongside a simply breaded and pan-fried fish, and it would be delicious. But the great thing about Ad Hoc is that it has relatively simple dishes and teaches you how to prepare them to perfection - often involving a few more steps than a standard quick dish - but worth it.
Halibut en Persillade
Adapted from Tom Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home
Note: For those who do not know what "Persillade" is (I'm included) - Wikipedia defines it as "a sauce or seasoning mixture of parsley chopped together with seasonings including garlic, herbs, oil, and vinegar"
2 pieces of halibut fillet
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs (we had panko)
1 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1.5 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher Salt
Canola oil
Fleur de sel
Remove the halibut from the refrigerator and let stand for 15 minutes
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F
Cut the halibut crosswise into 6 pieces (3 per person). Combine the breadcrumbs and parsley in a shallow bowl. Put the mustard in a small bowl and fill a second small bowl with cold water.
Season the fillets on both sides with salt. Dip a brush into the water and then into the mustard (this small amount of water will thin the mustard slightly, making it easy to brush only a thin coating on the fish). Brush the top of each fillet with a light coating of mustard, then dip the mustard side of the fish into the bread crumb mixture to make an even coating; shake the bowl of crumbs slightly before coating each piece so that the crumbs are in an even layer.
Pour some canola oil into an ovenproof frying pan that will hold the pieces of cod without them touching and heat over medium-high heat until the oil just begins to smoke. Lower the heat to medium, put the fish crumb side down on the pan, and cook until the crust is golden brown, about 1 minute.
Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the fish just begins to flake when prodded with a fork, 8 to 9 minutes.
Arrange the fish on a platter and serve over top of the Asparagus Coins and Carrots.
Asparagus Coins
3/4 lbs. pencil-thin asparagus
1 Tbsp EVOO
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/8 cup Parsley Water
Divide the asparagus in half and bundle each with a rubber band. Snap off the bottom of 1 stalk of asparagus to see where it breaks naturally. Cut across the bunches to trim all of the spears to the same length.
Slice the asparagus with a sharp chef’s knife.
Put the tips in a large frying pan, add the chive oil, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat, swirling the ingredients together, until the tips are coated with oil and begin to sizzle, 1 ½ - 2 minutes. Add the asparagus rounds and cook until the edges look cooked but the centers are still raw. Add 3 tablespoons of the parsley water, stir to coat, and cook until the asparagus is tender, 1 ½ - 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the remaining parsley water, and stir to coat.
Parsley Water
3 Tbs water
1/2 tsp canola oil
1.5 tsp honey
1.5 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, washed and patted thoroughly dry
Pour the water into a small bowl and freeze until the water is ice-cold.
Heat a medium frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the honey and heat to melt and lightly caramelize it for a few seconds. Add the parsley with the honey and wilt it, about 30 seconds. Transfer the contents of the pan to the ice-cold water to chill the parsley leaves.
Transfer the parsley and liquid to a Vita-Mix and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh basket strainer into a storage container. The parsley water can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
Makes a scant 1/4 cup
Carrots
3 carrots
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Kosher salt
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
pinch of Yellow Curry Powder
1. Peel the carrots and cut them into oblique shapes.
2. Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the carrots, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until the carrots begin to give off their juices, about 7 minutes. Lower the heat as necessary to keep the carrots from browning. Add the red wine vinegar and cook for 2 minutes. Add the water and curry powder and cook, swirling the pan, for 2 more minutes, or until the carrots are just tender. With a slotted spoon, transfer the carrots to a bowl.
I love it when I feel good after a meal. This was jam packed with delicate flavors, lots of vegetables, and a pure piece of fantastic fish. I loved how the vegetables were prepared - they were done just perfectly - not cooked to death and not raw. Cooked just enough to bring out the bright flavors and slightly tenderize the vegetable. What I thought was so unique was the parsley water. It really added a nice subtle brightness to the asparagus (and, mixed in with the carrots, to those too). It also made the green asparagus even greener. What a great way to add in the bright herb flavor without adding chopped up herbs.
Those chopped up herbs were left for the fish which was completely melt-in-your-mouth. Literally. My breadcrumb crust could have been a little crispier which Derek attributed the slight sogginess to overcrowding the pan with the fish juices seeping into the different pieces. Regardless, the flavor was fantastic. I think the cod may have held up slightly more than the halibut so I'd be interested to try that instead. But I thought the tenderness of the fish was just out of this world.
What I loved about the components of this dish - and how Derek prepared it - was that the seasonings were very mild, allowing the flavors of the base ingredients to star. By restraining the salt and pepper on the fish and instead, sprinkling the cooked fish with some fleur de sel, you get a pure piece of fish, accented by smalls bursts of salt.
It was worth the wait - though I'd be happiest if the grocery shopping and prep would be done BEFORE spin class so that the actually cooking process would be a cinch. Since I truly didn't have to do anything (except for dishes), I guess I can't complain!
The original recipe called for cod and we were a bit disappointed when we got to the store and there was no cod to be found. Luckily, sitting there in the case were a couple beautiful pieces of halibut - a fine substitute.
The basic recipe seems very straightforward - breadcrumb/herb/mustard crusted fish served over cooked asparagus and carrot. It was the technique and preparation, however, that ended up making this a bit more difficult. I'm sure you could simply boil, saute, or steam up some cut up asparagus and carrots and serve them alongside a simply breaded and pan-fried fish, and it would be delicious. But the great thing about Ad Hoc is that it has relatively simple dishes and teaches you how to prepare them to perfection - often involving a few more steps than a standard quick dish - but worth it.
Halibut en Persillade
Adapted from Tom Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home
Note: For those who do not know what "Persillade" is (I'm included) - Wikipedia defines it as "a sauce or seasoning mixture of parsley chopped together with seasonings including garlic, herbs, oil, and vinegar"
2 pieces of halibut fillet
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs (we had panko)
1 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1.5 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher Salt
Canola oil
Fleur de sel
Remove the halibut from the refrigerator and let stand for 15 minutes
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F
Cut the halibut crosswise into 6 pieces (3 per person). Combine the breadcrumbs and parsley in a shallow bowl. Put the mustard in a small bowl and fill a second small bowl with cold water.
Season the fillets on both sides with salt. Dip a brush into the water and then into the mustard (this small amount of water will thin the mustard slightly, making it easy to brush only a thin coating on the fish). Brush the top of each fillet with a light coating of mustard, then dip the mustard side of the fish into the bread crumb mixture to make an even coating; shake the bowl of crumbs slightly before coating each piece so that the crumbs are in an even layer.
Pour some canola oil into an ovenproof frying pan that will hold the pieces of cod without them touching and heat over medium-high heat until the oil just begins to smoke. Lower the heat to medium, put the fish crumb side down on the pan, and cook until the crust is golden brown, about 1 minute.
Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the fish just begins to flake when prodded with a fork, 8 to 9 minutes.
Arrange the fish on a platter and serve over top of the Asparagus Coins and Carrots.
Asparagus Coins
3/4 lbs. pencil-thin asparagus
1 Tbsp EVOO
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/8 cup Parsley Water
Divide the asparagus in half and bundle each with a rubber band. Snap off the bottom of 1 stalk of asparagus to see where it breaks naturally. Cut across the bunches to trim all of the spears to the same length.
Slice the asparagus with a sharp chef’s knife.
Put the tips in a large frying pan, add the chive oil, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat, swirling the ingredients together, until the tips are coated with oil and begin to sizzle, 1 ½ - 2 minutes. Add the asparagus rounds and cook until the edges look cooked but the centers are still raw. Add 3 tablespoons of the parsley water, stir to coat, and cook until the asparagus is tender, 1 ½ - 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the remaining parsley water, and stir to coat.
Parsley Water
3 Tbs water
1/2 tsp canola oil
1.5 tsp honey
1.5 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, washed and patted thoroughly dry
Pour the water into a small bowl and freeze until the water is ice-cold.
Heat a medium frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the honey and heat to melt and lightly caramelize it for a few seconds. Add the parsley with the honey and wilt it, about 30 seconds. Transfer the contents of the pan to the ice-cold water to chill the parsley leaves.
Transfer the parsley and liquid to a Vita-Mix and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh basket strainer into a storage container. The parsley water can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
Makes a scant 1/4 cup
Carrots
3 carrots
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Kosher salt
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
pinch of Yellow Curry Powder
1. Peel the carrots and cut them into oblique shapes.
2. Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the carrots, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until the carrots begin to give off their juices, about 7 minutes. Lower the heat as necessary to keep the carrots from browning. Add the red wine vinegar and cook for 2 minutes. Add the water and curry powder and cook, swirling the pan, for 2 more minutes, or until the carrots are just tender. With a slotted spoon, transfer the carrots to a bowl.
I love it when I feel good after a meal. This was jam packed with delicate flavors, lots of vegetables, and a pure piece of fantastic fish. I loved how the vegetables were prepared - they were done just perfectly - not cooked to death and not raw. Cooked just enough to bring out the bright flavors and slightly tenderize the vegetable. What I thought was so unique was the parsley water. It really added a nice subtle brightness to the asparagus (and, mixed in with the carrots, to those too). It also made the green asparagus even greener. What a great way to add in the bright herb flavor without adding chopped up herbs.
Those chopped up herbs were left for the fish which was completely melt-in-your-mouth. Literally. My breadcrumb crust could have been a little crispier which Derek attributed the slight sogginess to overcrowding the pan with the fish juices seeping into the different pieces. Regardless, the flavor was fantastic. I think the cod may have held up slightly more than the halibut so I'd be interested to try that instead. But I thought the tenderness of the fish was just out of this world.
What I loved about the components of this dish - and how Derek prepared it - was that the seasonings were very mild, allowing the flavors of the base ingredients to star. By restraining the salt and pepper on the fish and instead, sprinkling the cooked fish with some fleur de sel, you get a pure piece of fish, accented by smalls bursts of salt.
It was worth the wait - though I'd be happiest if the grocery shopping and prep would be done BEFORE spin class so that the actually cooking process would be a cinch. Since I truly didn't have to do anything (except for dishes), I guess I can't complain!
looks great, gonna have to try this one -craig
ReplyDelete