Fennel-Roasted Fish Fillet with Spring Vegetables à la Vapeur and Potato Puree Recipes


For a healthier take on dinner, this sophisticated fish dish is a cinch to make.You roast a large fish fillet on a bed of shaved fennel and red onion, and then top them with capers that get crispy as they bake. For a quick, delicious sauce, you just whisk together some caper juice and olive oil and drizzle it on the warm fish, says chef Rozanne Gold, who created this and the following recipes for Real Food. To round out the meal, try the side of vegetables with an unexpected buttery zucchini sauce and the Potato Purée with Shallots and Fresh Herbs. 

Fennel-Roasted Fish Fillet with Tiny Tomatoes and Crispy Capers

Makes 6 servings  

1 medium fennel bulb 
1 medium red onion
212 pound fillet of striped bass or halibut 
2 tablespoons capers plus 1 tablespoon caper juice 
20 grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise 
12 cup olive oil
1 medium clove garlic, minced 

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.

2. Remove fronds from fennel and set them aside. Cut fennel bulb in half lengthwise.

3. Place cut-side down on a cutting board and slice crosswise into paper-thin slices. Scatter in center of baking sheet along the length of the sheet. 

4. Peel red onion and cut in half through root end. Put cut-side down on a cutting board and slice as thin as possible. Scatter over fennel. 

5. Season fish well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place fish on fennel and onions in center of baking sheet. Arrange halved tomatoes around fish. Pour 14 cup of the olive oil over fish and tomatoes. Scatter capers on top of fish. Roast 30 minutes. 

6. Meanwhile, whisk together remaining 14 cup olive oil and 1 tablespoon caper juice. Stir garlic into mixture. Finely chop 13 cup fennel fronds. Add 1 tablespoon chopped fronds to dressing. 

7. When fish is cooked, remove from oven. Divide fish into 6 portions and transfer fish and vegetables onto 6 large plates. Drizzle with dressing and scatter remaining chopped fennel fronds on top. 

 

Spring Vegetables à la Vapeur 

Makes 6 servings

Here’s a dish that epitomizes spring.Three verdant vegetables get steamed together and one is turned into a delicious sauce the color of jade.The sauce tastes buttery all by itself but becomes even more luxurious with bits of cold butter whisked in. 

34 pound fresh snow peas 
34 pound string beans 
3 medium zucchini (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled 

1. Remove tails from snow peas. Trim ends of green beans. Using a small sharp knife, cut beans in half lengthwise. Cut 2 zucchini into 13-inch cubes. Set vegetables aside. 

2. Cut remaining zucchini into 1-inch pieces and place in a small saucepan. Cover with water and add 14 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook for 15 minutes, until zucchini is very soft. 

3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked zucchini to the bowl of a food processor, reserving cooking water. Process until smooth and creamy, adding enough reserved water to yield about 23 cup sauce. Cut butter into slices and add to sauce. Process briefly and transfer to a small saucepan. 

4. Bring a large pot of water, fitted with a steamer basket, to a boil. Place snow peas and string beans in the basket. Place zucchini cubes on top. Cover and steam for 7 minutes. 

5. When cooked, lightly salt vegetables and transfer to a serving dish. Cover with warm zucchini sauce. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste. 

 

Potato Purée with Shallots and Fresh Herbs 

Makes 6 servings  

You may never make ordinary mashed potatoes again! In this dreamy potato purée, shallots soften in a bath of cream and fresh herbs and impart an intriguing, sweet flavor to whipped potatoes. Contrary to conventional thinking, baking potatoes provide the best texture for mashing and whipping. This can be made a day ahead and gently rewarmed. 

234 pounds small baking potatoes 
6 ounces large shallots 
34 cup heavy cream 
34 cup milk 
3 large sprigs fresh tarragon 
3 sprigs fresh thyme 

1. Scrub potatoes and place in a pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and cook until potatoes are very soft, about 45 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, peel shallots and chop very fine. Put them in a small saucepan with heavy cream, tarragon, and thyme. Add large pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low and cover pan. Cook 10 minutes until shallots are very soft. Remove herbs. Let sit. 

3. When potatoes are tender, transfer them to a colander. Peel them and cut into large pieces. Place in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix briefly. Add cooked shallots and cream. Mix briefly until smooth. Add milk and mix until creamy. Transfer to a large saucepan and add salt and pepper to taste. Heat gently and serve. 

Mary Subialka is the editor of Real Food and Drinks magazines, covering the flavorful world of food, wine, and spirits. She rarely meets a chicken she doesn’t like, and hopes that her son, who used to eat beets and Indian food as a preschooler, will one day again think of real food as more than something you need to eat before dessert and be inspired by his younger brother, who is now into trying new foods.