Carrot Butter–Poached Halibut with Anchovy-Roasted Carrots and Fennel Recipe

Servings: 4
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

for the halibut:
2 pounds|907 grams small carrots, with tops
3 ½ cups unsalted butter
3 anchovy fillets, minced
3 lemons
kosher salt
2 cups|473 ml fresh carrot juice
3 garlic cloves, crushed, plus 1 whole garlic clove
1 bay leaf
1 orange, zested
¼ cup|60 ml extra virgin olive oil
4 (6-ounce|185-gram) halibut fillets
Maldon flake salt, to taste

for the fennel salad:
1 fennel bulb, sliced ⅛-inch (3-mm) thick using a mandoline
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped white anchovies (boquerones)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (or 180°C).
2. Remove the carrot tops, wash, and set aside. Peel the carrots and halve them lengthwise. In a sauté pan over medium, melt ½ cup|125 grams of the butter with the anchovies and the grated zest from two of the lemons. Add the carrots and season with kosher salt. Transfer to a baking sheet, spread in a single layer, and roast in the oven until slightly softened but still a little crunchy, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and toss with the juice of one lemon.
3. In a shallow sauté pan over medium, combine the carrot juice, the crushed garlic, bay leaf, and orange zest. Cook until reduced by three-quarters, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining 3 cups|750 grams butter and stir until melted, then reduce the heat to very low and keep warm.
4. Next, we're going to buzz our carrot top pesto. Simply combine the carrot tops, the whole garlic clove, the olive oil, the juice of one lemon, and a pinch of kosher salt in a blender and blend until you have a fine pesto consistency. Set aside.
5. To make the fennel salad, in a bowl combine the fennel, olive oil, chives, and anchovies and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
6. Now, to poach the fish. Heat the carrot butter to 130°F|55°C over low. Season the halibut with kosher salt and add the fish to the butter. Keeping the butter at 130°F|55°C, poach the halibut until you can press down on the fish with a fork and don't feel a pop (that pop is connective tissue that hasn't yet broken down), about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spatula, transfer the halibut to a plate lined with paper towels. Squeeze the juice of the third lemon over the fish and sprinkle with Maldon salt.

6. To serve, place roasted carrots in the center of four shallow bowls and top each with a halibut fillet. Top each halibut fillet with the fennel salad. Drizzle the pesto around the fish, spoon a tablespoon of carrot butter over each plate, and serve.

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