Roasted Wild Pacific Halibut with Spring Vegetable Navarin

by Chef Keith Froggett

Unlike its green counterpart, white asparagus has a tough, bitter peel that must be removed prior to cooking. To blanch fava beans, put them in boiling salted water for 30 seconds, drain and rinse under cold water. Then peel off the tough outer skin.

White asparagus:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon kosher salt
8 large spears white asparagus, peeled

Halibut:
4 5-ounce Pacific wild halibut fillets, skin on, at room temperature
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Navarin:
4 ounces wild leeks, cleaned and trimmed
4 large spears green asparagus
2 ounces cleaned and trimmed morels
½ cup shelled, blanched and peeled fava beans
¼ cup shelled garden peas
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Garnish:
2 large spears white asparagus, peeled
2 large spears green asparagus
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Lemon for squeezing

Combine 8 cups water, lemon juice, butter and salt in a pot over high heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, add white asparagus and poach for 5 to 8 minutes or until just tender. Remove asparagus and set aside, reserving poaching liquid.

Preheat oven to 500° F.

Season halibut with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in an ovenproof frying pan over high heat. Place halibut in pan, skin side up, then place pan in the oven and bake about 8 minutes or until fish is opaque and cooked through.

While fish is in the oven, return pot of poaching liquid to medium-high heat and bring to simmer. Add leeks, green asparagus and morels and simmer for 2 minutes or until almost tender. Add fava beans, peas and reserved white asparagus and cook another minute or until vegetables are warmed through. Drain vegetables, toss with chives and
season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide
vegetables among serving bowls.

Remove skin from halibut and season with salt and pepper. Place halibut, golden side up, on top of vegetables. Use a mandolin to shave raw asparagus over each portion.

Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

Wine pairing by Beppi Crosariol:

Grassy, crisp sauvignon blanc could hardly hope for a better pairing than this light, elegant dish. A top choice would be a Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé from France’s Loire Valley, both made from sauvignon blanc. Or look for more affordable versions from Chile, New Zealand, South Africa or Ontario.