Sautéed Halibut Cheeks on Fried Potatoes and Artichokes
Simple but delicious: chef David Machado beds golden sautéed fish on pan-fried potatoes and artichoke slices, then adds a piquant note with a sauce of pepper and capers. Any firm fish will work; if you change the type of fish, adjust the cooking time so that it does not overcook.
Ingredients
- Potatoes and Artichokes
- Cooked Potatoes - 1 pound skin on (Yukon gold, Yellow Finn, New Red, or combination)
- Baby Artichokes - 1 pound
- Olive Oil - 6 tablespoons
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Halibut Cheeks - four, 6-ounce (alt. monkfish)
- Flour for dusting
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Olive Oil - 3 tablespoons
- Pepper Sauce
- Red Bell Peppers - 1/2 cup, peeled, deribbed, and julienned
- Yellow Bell Peppers - 1/2 cup, peeled, deribbed, and julienned
- Small Capers - 2 teaspoons
- Shallots - 2, minced
- Cloves Garlic - 2, minced
- Lemon Juice - 2 teaspoons
- Dry white wine - 2 tablespoons
- Fish Stock (see Basics) - 3/4 cup
- Flat-leaf Parsley - 1/2 sprig, stemmed and chopped
- Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup (4 ounces), cold
Instructions
To cook the potatoes and artichokes: Cut the potatoes into thin slices, leaving the skin on. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the potatoes until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut the base off the artichokes and pull off the stiff outer leaves. Scrape out the fuzzy choke inside with a spoon. Bring a large pan of salted water to a rolling boil and put the artichokes in the water. Bring back to a boil and let cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, drain, and plunge the artichokes into cold water. Let stand 30 seconds, pour off the water, and drain the artichokes on paper towels. Slice in half lengthwise.
To prepare the fish: Preheat the oven to 500 F. Remove the silverskin from the fish. Dust the halibut with flour, salt, and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and sear the fish for 1 minute on each side. Place in the oven and bake for 6 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily.
To make the sauce: Combine the peppers, capers, shallot, and garlic and sauté in a large skillet over medium heat until the vegetables have softened and are just starting to brown. Pour in the lemon juice and wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the fish stock and cook until the sauce has reduced by one fourth in volume. Stir in the parsley. Stir in the butter, one fourth at a time, stirring until melted and incorporated.
To serve: Divide the potatoes and artichokes among the serving plates. Top with a piece of fish. Pour the sauce over the fish.
