Olive Oil-Poached Halibut with Bean Ragout, Lemon Aioli, and Shaved Fennel Salad

This recipe comes from Robbie Lewis of Bacar.

Serves 6

Lemon Aioli

1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves
1 cup olive oil
1 lemon (preferably Meyer), zest removed and juiced

1. Finely chop garlic, scraping across the cutting board as you chop, to make a paste and reserve.

2. Add egg yolk and mustard to a bowl and slowly whisk in the olive oil until it begins to thicken. Whisk in garlic, lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Bean Ragout

2 cups large white beans
3 tablespoons carrot, peeled and cut into a large dice
3 tablespoons onion, peeled and cut into a large dice
3 tablespoons celery, peeled and cut into a large dice
3 tablespoons leek, cut into a large dice
3 tablespoons tomato, cut into a large dice
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Thyme sprigs
1 piece prosciutto scrap
4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons pure olive oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup nicoise olives, thinly sliced

1. Soak the beans in cold water overnight.

2. Place the pure olive oil and prosciutto into a saucepot and cook the vegetables and garlic over medium heat until soft, add the beans, chicken stock and thyme, bring to a boil.

3. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender, adding salt to taste half way through the cooking process. Add the tomatoes and olives; stir in the lemon aioli to thicken. The beans may be cooked a couple days in advance.

Olive Oil Poached Halibut

3 garlic cloves
1/2 bunch thyme
3 cups extra virgin olive oil
6 5-ounce Halibut filets

Heat olive oil to 120°. Infuse the olive oil with the garlic and thyme for 2 minutes. Poach the halibut in the infused olive oil for 6 minutes.

Shaved Fennel Salad

1 bulb fennel
1/4 cup each torn basil, mint and parsley leaves
Sherry vinaigrette (1 tablespoon sherry vinegar and 1/4 cup olive oil whisked together), to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

Thinly slice fennel into a mixing bowl.  Add herbs and vinaigrette, season to taste and toss to mix. Place on top of the bean ragout, top with the fish and serve.

This recipe was demonstrated as part of the Market to Table events organized by CUESA, the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture. www.cuesa.org.