(As read and prepared by Alex Tuller for the April 27, 2006 Podcast)
Sorrel is wonderful, just so long as you don’t think that it is a substitute for any other green that looks like it. The only people I know who use sorrel, grow it, but I have been told that it is findable in specialty food stores.
Mmmmm…sorrel!
Halibut, 4-6 oz per person
Sorrel, handful washed and chopped
Oil
Butter
Shallot, minced
White wine
Salt/pepper
Heavy cream
Lemon
This recipe is for two people, but can easily be expanded. I am guessing at measurements because that day, I just poured things into the pan and stirred. I encourage you to do this with your cooking, but not your baking.
Have everything out and ready to go, because this is one of my super fast recipes.
Wash the halibut and rub it very lightly with a half a lemon. Dry it, gently cut several diagonal slices in the skin and salt the skin side really well. If the fish monger has given you a single piece, leave it in tact while you cook it.
Put your oven on warm and stick a plate in there.
Grab a sautaé pan and heat it over medium high heat with a good covering of oil in the pan. Don’t be stingy with the oil, the fish absorbs very little of it. Just as it is about to smoke, add the halibut skin side down. Leave it alone. My halibut was big and thick, so I let it cook there for about 4-6 minutes. Flip it and leave it alone. Let it hang out cooking for about 3-5 minutes depending on how done you like your fish and, once again, how thick the piece of fish is. But what I can say is that the exterior should have a nice crust on it. That only happens if you leave the fish to cook and don’t poke at it and have a nice high heat.
Transfer the fish to the warm plate and loosely it tent with a piece of foil.
Turn down heat a touch. Wipe out the excess oil, drop a hunk – maybe two Tbs – of butter into the pan swirling it around until is is melted and bubbling, add the shallots and cook for a minute. Add the wine, swirling around, add the sorrel, and about a 1/4-1/2 cup of heavy cream, good dose of salt and pepper. Stir. Taste. Add a touch of lemon, add some more cream, add some more pepper. Get it to a nice sauce consistency. I let the cream bubble, but I don’t let it rapidly boil down to nothingness. This entire sauce process should take about 3 minutes.
If your halibut is still in one piece, cut it in half. Plate halibut and spoon sauce over it. We server this with couscous and a Caesar’s salad.