This summer, my daughters were whisked away to visit their grandparents for a few days, giving my husband and I a much-needed “staycation” break. We filled our brief time sans les filles by going to movies, grabbing cocktails and eating great meals at some of our favorite restaurants (not to mention finishing sentences without being interrupted, truly heavenly). One of our favorite places to go is Taste. We love to sit at the bar, talk to Ted Kilgore and have him make us some fabulous drinks while we nibble delicious small plates. On our most recent visit, one of the dishes offered was halibut on a bed of puréed white beans with grapefruit and fennel slaw and a lemon vinaigrette. It was sublime, and I immediately knew that I was going to do all I could to whittle it down to five ingredients. I also knew I couldn’t have it all – I’d either have to give up flavoring the beans or the vinaigrette (Oh, my friends, there are days I regret that I did not push for “Just SIX.”). I decided I could let go of the lemon in favor of flavoring the beans. I tried garlic with the beans, but it was too strong; stone ground mustard, however, was just right and could also be used in a grapefruit vinaigrette. The result is a delightful small meal for two, but can be expanded to serve more.
Halibut With Grapefruit-Fennel Slaw Courtesy of Dee Ryan, inspired by Taste’s Adam Altnether
Serves 2
1 pink grapefruit
1 fennel bulb
1 Tbsp., plus ½ tsp., stone ground mustard, divided
Extra virgin olive oil
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 halibut steak
• Supreme the grapefruit: Using a small, sharp knife, slice off a small section from each end of the grapefruit. Stand on a flat end and remove the rind and pith with a small, sharp knife, cutting in long strips. Remove each citrus segment by cutting to the right and left of each membrane and place them in a medium-sized bowl. Squeeze the juice from the membrane into a small bowl, reserving about 4 tablespoons of juice.
• Cut the fennel bulb into quarters and remove the core. Using a mandoline or very sharp knife, cut fennel lengthwise into paper-thin slices and place in the medium bowl with the grapefruit segments.
• Add the mustard to the grapefruit juice and whisk to combine in the small bowl. Whisk in ¼ cup olive oil.
• Pour half of the vinaigrette into the medium bowl with fennel and grapefruit and toss to combine.
• In a small food processor, combine drained beans and 1 tablespoon of mustard. Purée and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Lightly coat the halibut with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a skillet over medium heat, and cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until the fish is cooked through.
• To serve, place about 1/3 cup of puréed beans on a plate. Place halibut atop the beans and spoon the grapefruit and fennel slaw on top. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette evenly on the fish.
This article appears in Aug 1-31, 2011.