Poached Halibut Steaks With Nicoise Sauce

Name: Poached Halibut Steaks With Nicoise Sauce
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: french
Ingredients: 4 small ripe plum tomatoes, about 1/2 pound; 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar; 4 tablespoons virgin olive oil; 4 tablespoons finely chopped shallots; 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic; 4 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley; 8 small pitted black nicoise olives, chopped coarse; 8 small pitted green nicoise olives, chopped coarse; 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind; Salt and freshly ground pepper; 4 boneless, skinless halibut fillets, about 6 ounces each, or any white fleshed fish, like turbot; 1/4 cup milk; 1/2 cup thinly sliced onions; 1 bay leaf; 4 parsley sprigs; 2 fresh thyme sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried; 2 whole cloves; 6 black peppercorns; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; Salt to taste

By Pierre Franey

Total Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 4(24)
Notes: Read community notes

The ingredient that identifies this dish as nicoise is, of course, olives, and in this recipe there are both green and red. Tomatoes are also essential to nicoise cooking, as are olive oil and garlic. This is a colorful and full-flavored dish. A little cayenne gives it a sharp edge.

Featured in: 60-Minute Gourmet

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

For the Sauce

4small ripe plum tomatoes, about ½ pound
2tablespoons red-wine vinegar
4tablespoons virgin olive oil
4tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2teaspoons finely chopped garlic
4tablespoons fresh basil or parsley
8small pitted black nicoise olives, chopped coarse
8small pitted green nicoise olives, chopped coarse
½teaspoon grated orange rind
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the Fish

4boneless, skinless halibut fillets, about 6 ounces each, or any white fleshed fish, like turbot
¼cup milk
½cup thinly sliced onions
1bay leaf
4parsley sprigs
2fresh thyme sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried
2whole cloves
6black peppercorns
¼teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
To make sauce, place tomatoes into boiling water for 10 seconds. Drain and pull away the skins. Cut away and discard core. Cut tomatoes crosswise and cut into ¼-inch cubes. There should be about 1 cup.
Step 2
Place vinegar in a mixing bowl, and add oil, shallots, garlic, basil, black and green olives, orange rind and salt and pepper. Blend well with a wire whisk. There should be about 1¼ cups.
Step 3
To prepare fish, place fillets in a skillet large enough to hold them in one layer. Add enough water to cover fish. Add milk, onions, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, cloves, peppercorns, cayenne and salt.
Step 4
Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish, or until fish flakes easily. Do not overcook.
Step 5
Drain, remove bay leaf, parsley and thyme, and serve hot or warm with sauce.