Bottega - Michael Chiarello [52]
Halibut isn’t the only option; this recipe works well with any white-fleshed fish. If the fish is thinner than 1 inch, decrease the cooking time by a minute or two.
Normally, you keep a bowl of lemon water nearby while cutting artichokes so you can keep them from oxidizing and turning brown. Here, you’ll skip the water dunk and put them right in the marinade, which serves the same purpose. If you don’t want the extra work of cutting artichokes, leave them out and instead serve the fish with a simple spinach salad.
Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
½ teaspoon sea salt, preferably gray salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 artichokes
OLIVE PASTE
2 cups pitted Kalamata olives
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Six 6-ounce halibut fillets, each about 1 inch thick
1½ cups Fisherman’s Sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill, preheat a gas grill to high, or have ready a grill pan or sauté pan. In a large ovenproof baking dish, combine the garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil and stir to blend.
Prepare each artichoke by pulling off the small lower leaves. Snap off the larger leaves by holding the bottom of the leaf in place with your thumb while snapping the top of each leaf downward, leaving a fingernail’s worth of leaf still in place on the choke. Using a paring knife, slice away the tough dark green leaves to reveal the paler green heart. Trim the base of the artichoke next to the stem and peel with a vegetable peeler. Use a teaspoon to scrape the fuzzy choke away from the heart. Cut each heart into quarters, add to the marinade, and toss to coat.
Using tongs, transfer the artichoke pieces to the grill or a grill pan or sauté pan heated on high heat (reserve the marinade) and cook for 1 to 1½ minutes on each side. Using tongs, return the artichoke pieces to the marinade. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until tender throughout.
FOR THE OLIVE PASTE: In a food processor, pulse together the olives and olive oil until smooth. Set aside.
For each fillet, cut a sheet of parchment paper about 16 inches long. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the Fisherman’s Sauce just off-center on each piece of paper. Place a fish fillet on top of the sauce. Divide the olive paste evenly among the packets, spooning it on top of each fillet. Top each fillet with 4 pieces of the grilled artichoke hearts and sprinkle with parsley.
Fold the paper over the fish. Align the two cut ends of the paper and fold the edges together twice, tucking the folded edges of the paper underneath the packet. Starting at the side closest to you (at the fold) begin crimping the paper together, folding the two sides of the parchment down in folds about 2 inches long and then folding it under again in small, tight creases. The folds won’t be exactly even, and that’s fine. The goal is to seal the paper all the way around just by folding the two edges under and under again; in the end you’ll have a half-moon shaped packet with the fish inside. Place the packets on a baking sheet. (Cook the fish now, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours, being sure to remove the packages from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking.)
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bake the packets for 11 minutes, or until the fillets are opaque throughout. To check if the fish are done, open one of the packets and cut into the fish with a knife.
Ask everyone to take their place at the table. Place each packet on a warmed plate and serve. (The fish will continue to cook inside the paper, so as soon as everyone’s seated—always the hardest part of cooking at my house—have them tear open the bags, and enjoy.)
Note: How to Buy Frozen Fish
At Bottega we buy only fresh fish, but at home you don’t always have the luxury. If you’ve