Halibut with Celery Root Purée and Tomato Garnish
Halibut with Celery Root Purée and Tomato Garnish is super scrumptious, easy to prepare, beautiful and impressive to serve!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 547kcal
Ingredients
Celery Root Purée
- 4 medium celery root bulbs peeled and cubed
- lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened and sliced into tablespoons
- 1 cup crème fraîche
- Salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- Pinch sugar optional
Tomato Garnish
- 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes stemmed and halved (or quartered if large) – see Note
- 3 tablespoons shallots chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon chopped
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
Halibut
- 2 1/2 pounds halibut skin removed, cut into 8 pieces
- 1/4 cup lemon-flavored or extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Celery Root Purée
- In a large saucepan, cover cubed celery root with water. Add squeeze of lemon juice and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 25 to 30 minutes or until the celery root is very tender; drain.
- In a food processor, combine celery root and butter; process just until blended. Add the crème fraîche and process until the consistency of mashed potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Taste, and if it is a bit bitter, add a pinch of sugar.
- Return to saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a large shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Tomato Garnish
- In a medium mixing bowl, toss together the tomatoes, tarragon, shallots, olive oil and vinegar. Set aside.
Halibut
- Brush both sides of the fish with the lemon-flavored olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. When hot (but not smoking), place the halibut top side down in the pan and cook 3 minutes or just until golden brown.
- Turn over and place in prepared baking dish in one layer. Roast in the oven, uncovered, 8 to 10 minutes per 1-inch of thickness (at its thickest point), until opaque and just cooked through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
- To serve, spoon celery root purée on each plate. Top with fish fillet and spoon the tomato mixture (and juices) over the top. Serve immediately.
Notes
Note on tomatoes: Chef John stresses using vine-ripe tomatoes, preferably black tomatoes if you can find them.
Make ahead: Celery root purée can be made up to 24 hours in advance, cooled, covered and refrigerated. Rewarm in a saucepan over low heat. Tomato garnish can be prepared up to 4 hours in advance, covered and kept at room temperature.
Variation: Grill the fish instead of roasting it. Preheat grill on high. Place a grilling rack or oiled foil on the grill. Place fish on the rack and cook for 10 minutes per 1-inch of thickness, turning it over halfway through cooking time. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 439mg | Potassium: 1977mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1596IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 215mg | Iron: 4mg