Recipe: Poached Halibut with Summer Succotash

Chef Aaron Abramson of Butterfield restaurant in Stone Ridge shares his culinary expertise in a recipe for poached halibut paired with summer succotash. “This dish was inspired by the items we had in our garden—there is a little bit of everything on the plate because it all looked and tasted so good,” he says. “The halibut is from the Atlantic Ocean, but everything else on the plate was from our garden, 15 feet outside the back of the kitchen.”

This dish is involved, and definitely for the more ambitious home chef. If you don't feel quite up to the challenge pop into Butterfield, in the historic Hasbrouck House, this summer to try it straight from the source.

Poached Halibut with Summer Succotash

Serves 4
Prep Time: 1 hour

Equipment
Immersion circulator

Ingredients

• Halibut filet 2” x 4”
  
• 20 cherry tomatoes
  
• 8 baby zucchini
  
• 1 cup English peas, shucked
  
• 1 cup snap peas, halved
  
• 1 cup snow peas halved
  
• 1 cup Fava beans, shucked
  
• 2 cups shucked corn
  
• ½ cup baby carrots 1”x1” on a bias
  
• ½ cup shaved fennel ⅛”
  
• 12 cucumber blossoms
  
• 12 Borage flowers
  
• 30 Mustard flowers
  
• 20 Arugula Flowers
  
• 1 T thyme oil
  
• 1 cup butter
  

Directions
For the Halibut:

• Make a water bath and set the circulator to 129F.
  
• Place halibut filet in small ziplock bag with 2 ounces of diced unsalted butter.
  
• Put the bag in the water bath, cooking it for 15 minutes, making sure the fish is submerged the entire time.

For the Succotash:

• Heat a saute pan to medium high heat.
  
• Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.
  
• Add the corn, peas, beans, carrots, baby zucchini, and fennel and saute for 2-3 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt to your liking.
  

For the Tomato Broth:

• Put a handful of cherry tomatoes in the blender with a half a cup of water and a pinch of salt.
  
• Blend for one minute.
  
• Strain over cheesecloth or a coffee filter.
  

For the Thyme Oil:

• Blanch 2 bunches of thyme in boiling water for two minutes then cool down in ice water.
  
• Blend in the blender with 1 cup of vegetable oil for one minute.
  
• Strain and hold in the fridge.

Finishing touches:

• Place the Halibut in the center of the plate.
  
• Squeeze a lemon over the top with a small pinch of finishing salt, and garnish with mustard flowers.
  
• Arrange the hot succotash around the fish as shown in the picture.
  
• Pour some of the warmed tomato broth into the middle of the plate, about 2 tablespoons.
  
• Garnish the vegetables with the leftover flowers.
  

Chef’s Note: This is a dish that comes together best when done in season. You can add or subtract any of the vegetables to your liking. Halibut can be substituted for most flaky white fish.