Halibut with Herbs and Cherry Tomatoes

By John, 19 July, 2020
Region
Italy
Description

Halibut Braised with Herbs and Cherry TomatoesThis was an invention of necessity another time that Lorna bought (expensive) halibut hoping for the Halibut in an Orange Sauce, only to learn that we had no good oranges in the house. 

So I followed the same technique, but I used herbs and cherry tomatoes and used herby dry vermouth instead of the sweet simple syrup. The orange-gold color in the sauce comes from the tomatoes; I saw that a few had burst, so I helped the others along. It was pretty and tasty too!

Yield
2 Servings
Preparation time
30 minutes
Ingredients
1 lb Halibut
2 T Olive oil
1⁄2 Shallot (chopped)
12 Cherry Tomatoes
1 T Parsley, Flat-Leaf (chopped)
1 pn Marjoram
1 pn Rosemary
1⁄2 c Dry Vermouth
Instructions
  1. In a biggish pan with a cover, sear the Halibut in hot oil on both sides for a few minutes, then reduce the heat and push it to the edge of the pan.
  2. Let the oil cool a bit, then cook the shallot for a minute to color and add the tomatoes.
  3. Heat the tomatoes for a few minutes, the bring the halibut back to the middle of the pan, sprinkle on the herbs and any salt or pepper that you feel it needs, and then gently pour the wine in (so you don't wash off the herbs). Cover and cook about 5 minutes.
  4. Check the pan. If the tomatoes have started to burst, then gently press on the others with a spoon to burst them as well. If none have burst yet, cover and maybe put up the heat a little.
  5. When the tomatoes are all burst, stir the sauce around and let it boil down if it's too thin, then serve hot.
Notes
The Dry Vermouth is important, as some have more herby flavors than others. I like Martini & Rossi for everyday cooking and in a dry Martini with an olive. If I have a different gin that likes a lemon twist, then I like the Noilly Prat, Cinzano, or Dolin, but I find them insufficiently assertive for cooking. Stock and Tribuno have no place in my house, as to me they taste harsh and chemical. Your tastes may differ!