Braised Halibut with Leeks, Mushrooms and Little Neck Clams

I made this last nigh for dinner and it was excellent.  I made a few small changes.  I served it with the black rice I blogged about earlier and I reduced the broth to 2 cups instead of three. Plus I added a cup of cherry tomatoes cut in half.  I added them when I braised the leeks and mushrooms.  Since I served it over the rice, having it too soupy didn't seem appealing to me.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

What You'll Need

4 oz. (½ cup) unsalted butter

½ lb. oyster or hen of the woods mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

3 large leeks, white and light-green parts only, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cups lower-salt chicken broth

4 skinless Pacific halibut fillets (about 4 oz. each)

16 to 24 small clams, such as Manila or littlenecks, scrubbed

1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half (optional)

Melt the butter over medium heat in an 11- or 12-inch straight-sided sauté pan with a lid. Add the mushrooms and leeks (and tomatoes if using) and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the broth, raise the heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.
Season the halibut with salt and pepper. Nestle the fish and clams among the vegetables in the skillet. Bring the broth back to a boil, cover tightly, and reduce the heat to low. Cook gently until the fish is just cooked through and the clams have opened, about 7 minutes. If all of the clams are not open, remove the fish and the open clams and continue cooking until the remaining clams open, another 2 to 3 minutes. Discard any clams that haven’t opened by this time.
Serve the fish in warmed shallow soup bowls, topped with leeks and mushrooms, surrounded by clams and broth, and sprinkled with chopped parsley.

serving suggestions

To make it a complete meal, serve with a green side salad and Steamed Jasmine Rice. 

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 480; Fat (g): 28; Fat Calories (kcal): 250; Saturated Fat (g): 15; Protein (g): 40; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 7; Carbohydrates (g): 17; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 2.5; Sodium (mg): 460; Cholesterol (mg): 125; Fiber (g): 3;

Pan Seared Swordfish with Braised Leeks

I had this dish along with the black rice I discussed in another blog.  The whole dish came together so well.


 Serves 4
Ingredients:

4- 6oz swordfish fillets
sea salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried dill

1 1/2 cup Venere black rice
3 cups water
salt to taste
1/2 tblsp butter

4 leeks, trimmed to 7" beginning with white parts, and cut each leek length wise into quarters or eighths
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tblsp butter
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Bring the 3 cups of water to a boil.  Add rice and cover and lower to simmer.  Simmer for 40 minutes until al dente.  This rice does not become creamy.  Each piece retains its own identity. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.

After you cover the rice to cook, put the leeks in a shallow dish and cover with cold water.  Break the leeks apart to clean them out. Let rinse for 15 minutes.  Rub occasionally to clean.  In a heavy skillet, melt the butter over medoium heat.  Lift the leeks from the water and with the water still clinging, add to skillet.  Cook leeks, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.  Add broth and zest.  Braise leeks, covered, for 5 minutes or until very tender.  Salt and pepper.

30 minutes before serving, take out the swordfish fillets and let rest.  10 minutes before serving, salt and and pepper both sides of the fillets as well as sprinkling with the dill.  Pam a caste iron skillet and heat over high heat until you see the heat radiating.  Add fillets.  Sear for 3-4 minutes on one side, turn and sear for 3-4 minutes on the other.  Lower heat to medium and sear.  Take a small sharp knife, and separate a small portion of the middle part of the fillet.  If you don't see any pink, remove from pan and let rest for 5 minutes.  If there is still a little pink,  turn off the fire and let them finish cooking in the pan until you don't see any pink.

Add the butter and salt and pepper to the rice.  Stir to coat rice.

To plate:

First the rice, then the leeks, then the fish, pouring a little of the leek braising liquid over the dish.