Sautéed Atlantic Halibut with Summer Succotash and Rue-Scented Onion Glaze

Work has been kicking my ass lately. I've been working on a lot of projects in my free time, including building a sous vide machine from spare parts I purchased from Home Depot. More on that later. I have lots of articles queued up!

With the summer in full swing, I thought I would make a pleasant seasonal dish. I wanted to make something light and halibut seemed like a natural choice. So I settled on Sautéed Atlantic Halibut with Summer Succotash and Rue-Scented Onion Glaze.

The FLCB heralds fish because it carries garnishes extremely well. The garnish for this dish is the summer succotash, which is composed of baby corn, bell peppers, fava beans, Brunoise, and chives. Rue is an unusual grey-green herb that I have growing in my garden, and it imparts a unique flavor to onions. I think it is the perfect herb to cook onions with.



I love cipollini onions because they are small, round, and roast easily. They aren't awkward to work with in the roasting pan. Their sweetness really comes out when you caramelize them.

I first trimmed the onions, leaving the skin on and searing them in canola oil. I turned them halfway through. Searing the onions added flavor depth and character to the sauce.

I then took them out of the pan and drained the oil. Here you can see the terrific browned edges.

I melted some veal stock in the pan, and added chicken stock, thyme, rue, honey, and salt to the mixture. I readded the cipollini onions and brought it to a simmer.


A parchment lid covered the whole pan and I braised it in the oven for 45 minutes.

Next, the succotash:

I cooked the baby corn in sugar, milk, and salt for 10-12 minutes.

I drained and cut the baby corn into rondelles, rounds that are about 1/16 inch wide. I then combined the baby corn with the fava beans, red and yellow peppers, chives, and Brunoise and cooked it with beurre monté and water to tenderize and moisten them.

Next, the sauce. I took the liquid used to braise the onions and reduced it in a saucepan, all while adding butter, whisking and whisking. The sauce was ready once it coated the back of a spoon. I seasoned it to taste.

Lastly, the halibut. I bought this particular halibut from Whole Foods. I prepped the halibut into 2 inch by 2 inch by 3/4 inch pieces (3 ounces).

After dusting the fillets with flour, salt, and pepper, I sautéed the halibut in a large pan.

I turned them over after about 2 minutes.

Look at that terrific color. The halibut was cooked medium, as it dries out easily. I only seared it on the bottom side for an additional minute. I removed and drained them on paper towels.

Finally, plating!

First, a spoonful of sauce:
Next, one or two cipollini onions (depending on preference and size of the onions):

Next, a piece of halibut...

Finally, a few spoonfuls of succotash and a sprig of chervil:

Wow. This dish is one of my favorites to date. It has a summer lightness. The succotash had terrific flavor and provided interesting texture in contrast to the softness of the halibut. I had initial doubts about using a meat sauce for fish, but it worked well. That technique will have to be added to the kitchen repertoire in the future.

Sources:
Produce and halibut from Whole Foods