Fish 3 Days, Fish 3 Ways Day3: Porcini Crusted Halibut with Truffled Polenta

After having the delicate Olive Oil Poached White Sea Bass, the Missus wanted something a bit more "earthy". Her request for the next day was, "something with mushrooms.....lots of mushrooms......" This one was easy for me....well to conceptualize. Getting it done after work in time for dinner....well, that was going to be fun. This was actually easy since I had about an ounce of dried porcini mushrooms on hand. So for a play-by-play....

Step 1 - Soak about 3/4 of the dried mushrooms in two cups of warm water

Step 2 - Slice cremini mushrooms, 2 shallots, and grate 4 cloves of garlic.

Step 3 - Place the rest of the dried porcini, salt, and pepper in a coffee grinder and pulverize to a powder.

Step 4 - Combine mushroom powder with 2 Tb potato starch and spread all but 1 Tb of mushroom mixture on a plate

Step 5 - Place halibut on mushroom-potato starch mixture making sure to coat only one side, well.

Step 6 - Season the undusted side of fish with Spanish paprika, granulated garlic, salt, and pepper. set aside.

Step 7 - Strain the porcini soaking liquid. Make polenta using all but 1/3 cup of the mushroom liquid, olive oil, and water. Between stirs, chop the soaked porcini, reserving 3 Tb as a garnish. When polenta is almost done, add all but the reserved chopped porcini mushrooms. Finish with truffle oil and set aside.

Step 8 - Pan fry the halibut in a combination grapeseed-extra virgin olive oil. When the fish is almost done, start step 9.

Step 9 - In a dry pan over medium high heat, place the sliced porcini mishrooms. When the mushrooms start to soften and give off their moisture add extra virgin olive oil, shallots, garlic, Turkish oregano, and reserved mushroom powder. When fragrant add reserved mushroom liquid and white wine and let bubble away. The fish should be ready by now. Set aside. Taste sauce and season (remember, there's salt and pepper in mushroom powder) with salt and pepper. Reduce......

Step 10 - Plate the baby up.......

Somewhere along the line, the Missus chopped some parsley for garnish. I also used some of the chopped porcini as well. I test for doneness using a sharp paring knife.

Man, this was really tasty...and moist.

I put the rest of the polenta in a pan greased with olive oil and then unmolded and stored for future use.

I ended up making this again, this time pan frying the "polenta cakes" a couple of days later.

Not bad for a Thursday night......

So there you go.......Fish 3 ways in 3 days. Whew, I needed a break. Though things started up again the next week, but I didn't work quite as hard.

Though this one is just pan fried halibut with a warm white balsamic vinaigrette.

Thanks for reading!

Comments

[caninecologne]

Great "series" Chef! This looks like a fantastic recipe! I liked how you used Spanish paprika. Was it the smoked kind?

[Kirk]

LOL CC! Yes, it's smoked Spanish paprika....I use it on so many things. I usually get it from Penzy's.

[kat]

yummy! the Missus is so lucky :)

[Ed (from Yuma)]

kudos. Wow that's a conclusion for the fishy trifecta.

[Kirk]

Thanks Kat! I'll let Her know just how lucky she is!!! ;o)

Hi Ed - Happy New Year! It was interesting trying to get this stuff done on work nights.

[Vicky (SF Bay Area)]

Wow!!! Delicious!!! I love truffles!!

[Kirk]

Hi Vicky - So does the Missus!