Pan-Roasted Halibut and Pesto Mushrooms

This dish is part of the One BIG Recipe: Halibut Dinner

PAN ROASTED HALIBUT & DILL PESTO MUSHROOMS

Ingredients:

Pink Peppercorn-Tarragon Compound Butter:

• 1 stick (4 ounces/113 g) salted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) pink peppercorns
• 1 sprig tarragon, leaves, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) white balsamic vinegar

Dill Pesto:

• 1 small bunch of dill, tops and tender stems, rough chop
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped walnut pieces
• ½ lemon, juice and zest
• ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil, plus more to cover

Dill Pesto Mushrooms:

• 12 large King Oyster mushrooms, sliced in half lengthwise
• Dill Pesto
• Oil, for grilling

Pan-Roasted Halibut:

• 6 5-ounce (142 g) halibut fillets
• Oil, for searing
• Salt and pepper
• Pink Peppercorn Compound Butter
• Dill Pesto Mushrooms
• Micro radish sprouts, to garnish

Method:

For the Pink Peppercorn-Tarragon Compound Butter:

Unwrap the stick of room temperature butter and transfer to a bowl.

Crush pink peppercorns with the back of a small sauté pan, add to bowl with butter.

Add tarragon to the bowl with butter.

Add white balsamic vinegar, use a small rubber spatula and stir to combine quite well.

Lay out a square of plastic wrap onto a clean work surface.

Scoop the butter out onto the plastic wrap in a line down the middle.

Tightly roll the plastic around the butter while pressing to form a neat log, pinch both ends of the plastic and twist each into different directions. This should compress the log into a tight roll. Tie the ends.

 Refrigerate until needed, at least 1 hour.

For the Dill Pesto:

Add chopped dill and parsley to the bowl of a small food processor.

Add chopped shallots, garlic, walnut pieces, salt, pepper, and the juice and zest of ½ lemon. Pulse to combine.

Add olive oil to the mixture and blend 1 minute, or until a smooth paste is formed.

Transfer to a small bowl, pour over a bit more olive oil to make an oxygen barrier and refrigerate until needed.

For the Grilled Mushrooms:

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat, lightly brush oil onto the grill.

Brush some of the dill pesto (reserve the rest for plating) onto the sliced king oyster mushrooms and grill for 1-2 minutes until marks are starting to form.

Turn the mushrooms and finish grilling, about 1-2 minutes. Remove the cooked mushrooms to a to an oven-proof dish and set aside at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 450 F (230 C).

10 minutes before serving, brush remaining dill pesto over the room temperature mushrooms in the oven-proof dish, place in the oven to re-heat.

For the Pan-Roasted Halibut:

While re-heating mushrooms, heat vegetable oil in a large cast-iron pan on the stove over high heat.

Season halibut with salt and pepper, and sear in the cast iron pan, 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Place pan with the seared fillets in the oven (with the mushrooms) and finish cooking, about 3 minutes.

To Serve:

Unwrap and slice the Pink Pepper-Tarragon Compound Butter into neat coins, use a warm knife for best results.

Retrieve the hot mushrooms and halibut from the oven.

Transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter, add the cooked fish over in a neatly arranged single layer.

Add the coins of compound butter over the fillets, garnish with micro radish sprouts and serve immediately.