By Chef Tret Jordan

Homer St. Cafe and Bar

Serves 4

“There is nothing that quite exemplifies spring then first-of-the-season Pacific local line caught halibut.” - Chef Tret Jordan

INGREDIENTS

For the Halibut:

  • 4 fillets Halibut, portion size of approximately 150 gr each
  • 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Whole lemon, cut into wedges
  • 1 tsp Coarse salt
  • 2 tbsp Unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup Walnut, toasted halves
  • 1 tbsp Capers

For the Sunchoke Puree:

  • 1 cup Sunchoke, washed and sliced into ½ inch slices
  • 2 cups Milk
  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • To Taste Salt

For the Dandelion:

  • 2 bunches Dandelion, washed and chopped
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 clove Garlic, finely chopped
  • To taste Salt
  • To taste Pepper

METHOD

Start by making the sunchoke puree, which can be done ahead of time and stored until needed. Place the sliced sunchokes in a pot and cover with the milk. Simmer until the sunchokes are cooked and tender. Pour the sunchokes into a sieve, reserving the milk. Place sunchokes into a food processor and blend. Add a little of the cooking milk as needed, just enough to blend to a smooth puree. Finish by adding the butter and season with salt.

The dandelion is quick to sauté and will only take a minute to cook. Heat a sauté pan on the stove on high heat. Add the olive oil and chopped dandelion; keep the dandelion moving in the pan. Add the garlic and sauté quickly. Season with salt and pepper.

To cook the halibut, heat a suitable sized pan on the stove, med-high heat. Ensure the pan is large enough to accommodate the four fillets of halibut. Make sure the fish is dry by patting the halibut with paper towel. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil to the pan. Season the halibut with salt and gently lay the fish into the pan. Cook the fish on the one side for approximately 6-7 minutes. You want to make sure the fish has a nice golden crust before flipping the fillets. Once they are flipped, turn the heat down to low-med. Add the butter, walnuts, and capers to the pan and allow the butter to slowly foam and brown. As soon as the butter is golden brown, not burnt, squeeze a couple of the fresh lemon wedges over the fish. This will help stop the butter from browning any further.

To serve, place a spoonful of the puree on to the plates. Divide the sautéed dandelion equally between servings. Carefully set the halibut onto the dandelion and spoon the walnuts, capers and butter over the fish. Bon appetit!