Herb-Roasted Halibut

• 6 baby potatoes (creamers, red new potatoes, or Yukon golds)
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces white domestic mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 12 shiitake mushrooms, stems reserved and caps cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 3/4 cups Chicken Stock or low-salt canned chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves
• 2 leeks, green part only, well washed and cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 halibut steaks or fillets, 6 ounces each
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs (tarragon, savory, or parsley)
• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
• 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil

1. For the ragout:
2. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with cold, salted water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 30 to 35 minutes.
4. Cool and cut each potato into 6 pieces.
5. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over high heat until just smoking.
6. Add the white mushrooms and shiitake stems and saute for 1 minute.
7. Add the stock and thyme and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer about 15 minutes, until the broth is full-flavored.
9. Strain the broth, discarding the solids.
10. In a medium saute pan over medium heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until just smoking and saute the shiitake caps until light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
11. Add the leeks and butter, cover, and cook until the leeks are tender, 6 to 7 minutes.
12. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
13. Add the potatoes to the leek mixture, stir in the mushroom broth, and bring to a boil over high heat.
14. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes.
15. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
16. For the halibut:
17. Preheat the oven to 400F.
18. Season the fish with salt and pepper and sprinkle on one side with the fresh herbs and herbes de Provence.
19. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.
20. Add the fish, herb-side down, and sear until golden.
21. Place in the oven and roast without turning until opaque and medium rare, 7 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness.
22. Alternatively, you can continue to cook the fish on top of the stove, turning once, until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
23. To serve:
24. Divide the ragout among 4 warm, shallow serving bowls and top with a halibut fillet.
25. Serve immediately.
26. Variation:
27. Serve mushroom ragout with:
28. Snapper, instead of Potato Galette and Port Wine Sauce
29. Salmon, instead of Lentils and Red Wine Sauce
30. Roasted cod, instead of Confit Bayaldi

potatoes, kosher salt, virgin olive oil, white domestic mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, chicken, thyme, leeks, butter, freshly ground black pepper, kosher salt, fresh herbs, herbes, virgin olive oil

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/herb-roasted-halibut (may not work)