Steamed Halibut with Roasted Porcini Mushrooms

By: Cheri Browne | June 23 2011
Posted in Rogue Valley - Cook It - Rogue Valley

Recipe Courtesy Louis Jeandin, Mushrooms All Year

Ingredients

3/4 pound skinless halibut fillet

Fresh herbs for steaming fish, such as cilantro, mint and lime leaves

2 porcini halves, cleaned and cut into rough pieces

Sea salt

Butter

Grapeseed oil

Pickled Sea Beans:

Small handful of sea beans

1 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 star anise

1 inch long piece of garlic, cut into thin slices

Lemongrass Sauce:

1/6 cup sugar

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon sliced lemongrass (white part only)

1 small handful cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

For the sea beans, put the rice wine vinegar into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the sugar, boil for a minute until sugar is dissolved, then set aside to cool. Put the sea beans, ginger and star anise into a small sterile jar, and pour over the cooled pickling liquid. Store in the fridge for a couple of days before using to let the flavors develop.

To make sauce, put all the sauce ingredients into a food processor, and blend to thoroughly combine.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Heat up a tablespoon of grapeseed oil, and a tablespoon of butter in a cast iron skillet. When the butter is fizzing, toss in porcini pieces. Keep the heat on high, we want to really sear these guys. Turn them over occasionally. Cook on the stovetop until the edges start to caramelize, then transfer to the oven for 15 minutes, or until they are nicely browned all over. Toss them once during the oven cooking process.

To steam the fish, put an inch of water in the bottom of a wok, and put the bamboo steamer over. Make sure the water level is below that of the steamer tray. Cover the steamer tray in the fresh cilantro, lime leaves and mint. Sprinkle a little salt on the flesh side of the fish, and place flesh side up (flesh side if the skin was still on) on top of the herbs. Put the lid on the steamer, and get the heat going on high under the wok. Steam for 10 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through to your liking.

To plate, spoon a little of the sauce onto a plate, and top with some of the roasted mushrooms. Place the fish gently half on the mushrooms, half in the sauce. Serve with the pickled sea beans on top.