I"m always looking for interesting ways to cook fish. And I love making one pot meals.
Not only is the clean up time reduced , but there’s something wonderful that happens when all the various components cook together and the flavors have a chance to meld… think beef pot roast, boeuf en daube, coq au vin, boeuf bourguignone, etc…
With the exception of fish stews such as cioppino or boulliabaise, you rarely see a pot roast dinner with a piece of fish in the leading role.
Some time ago I had posted a recipe for Pan-Roasted Chicken with Shallots and Couscous which I had adapted from a recipe from cookbook author and chef Sara Foster. In the same article this recipe for a most unlikely pot roast featuring halibut appeared.
I had saved it, but never made it. Then last week I had purchased a large fresh halibut fillet, some grape tomatoes, and some tiny new potatoes among other items at Costco.
It wasn’t until that evening when I took the fish out of the fridge that I realized I had all I needed to make this Halibut Pot Roast. Sometimes things just come together even though you haven’t planned it, so I finally made this delicious, unlikely and quick pot roast and now I can share it with you.
Halibut Pot Roast (recipe by Sara Foster)
(serves4-6)
1 pound small red or fingerling potatoes, washed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 pounds halibut fillets (¾ to 1 inch thick)*
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh tarragon (I used parsley and chives, didn’t have any tarragon)
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
½ cup dry white wine
3 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, and cook 15 minutes. (Potatoes will not be fully cooked.) Drain and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and saute 3 to 4 minutes or until soft and slightly brown. Add garlic and tomato, and saute 2 minutes more.
3. Place fish in pan, and add reserved parboiled potatoes, thyme, and next 4 ingredients. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 22 to 25 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Remove from oven, add butter, re-cover, and let stand 3 minutes or until butter melts. Serve warm.
*Substitute other thick white fish, such as haddock, if desired.