HALIBUT in a SAFFRON BRINE w/SALSA VERDE

By BobD

Ingredients

• 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1 1 1 T granulated sugar
• 2 2 2 bay leaves
• 1 1 1 T cracked white pepper
• A healthy pinch of saffron, crushed
• 1 1 1 qt. water
• 1 1 1 lb halibut steaks
• 1 1 1 T good-quality mustard
• 2 2 2 T tiny capers
• 2 2 2 finely chopped green onions
• 1 1 1 cup finely chopped parsley
• 2 from 2 lemons
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 extra-virgin olive oil, at least 1/2 cup
• 2 2 2 T lower-quality olive oil for sauteeing the fish

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from fishcooking.about.com

Preparation

Step 1

Make the Brine.

Mix the 1/4 cup of salt, quart of water, sugar, cracked white pepper and the bay leaves in a pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the crushed saffron. Mix well and cover. Let this stand for 30 minutes.

Once the brine has cooled somewhat, put it into a container and pop it in the fridge for 2 hours.

After the 2 hours are up, put the halibut steaks in.

Brine them for 2 and a half hours. Do not let them brine for more than 4 hours under any circumstances -- they will become too salty.

Make the Salsa Verde.

In a bowl, mix the mustard, capers, green onion, a little salt, parsley and lemon juice well. Start adding the good olive oil a little at a time, mixing vigorously all the way. Keep addit the oil until you have a sauce at the consistency you like: I like it somewhere beyond a paste but not so thin as a salad dressing.

Cook the Halibut.

Get a saute pan hot and add the lesser olive oil.

Take the halibut steaks out of the brine and pat dry. Let the oil get hot for a minute or two, then place the halibut down in the pan, well spaced so they get a good crust. Turn the heat down to medium.

Halibut steaks tend to be thick, so let them cook for a good 5 minutes per side at least; you may need more. Turn them only once.

To serve, spoon some of the salsa verde on the plate and top with the halibut. I like to serve this with those pretty little purple potatoes that are rapidly becoming available -- it makes for a very colorful plate.