Shawn McClain of Green Zebra, Chicago / Food and Wine
- 1½ pounds heirloom tomatoes, coarsely chopped and juices reserved
- 2 tablespoons minced shallots
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon snipped chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Four 6-ounce skinless halibut fillets
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes and their juices with the shallots, garlic, vinegar, chives, parsley, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of the ground fennel. Season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining ¾ teaspoon of ground fennel with ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the mixture all over the fish. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering. Add the halibut and cook over moderately high heat until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Flip the fillets and add the butter to the skillet; spoon the butter over the fillets as they cook, about 2 minutes longer.
Transfer the halibut to plates, spoon the tomato vinaigrette on top and serve.
Serves 4