Ojai Chefs Honor Italian Roots
My search for Italian food that measures up to what we experienced in Italy led me to two little gems run by Italian-born chefs who, with their spouses, have made Ventura County their home: Osteria Mo...
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 4 Serving(s)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus some for garnish
- 3 tablespoons onion or shallot, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small head radicchio, sliced into small strips
- 1½ pounds local halibut, or other firm white fish, cut into 6-ounce filets
- 3 tablespoons fresh turmeric*, finely chopped (or substitute 2½ teaspoons powdered turmeric)
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- 2 cups fish stock (vegetable stock can be substituted)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°. Drizzle olive oil in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Add onions or shallots, and garlic. Sauté 1 minute.
Add fennel and radicchio, sauté 3 minutes. (Reserve some radicchio for garnish.)
Season halibut with salt and pepper. Move fennel and radicchio mixture to side of pan (away from heat) and add halibut. Sear halibut for about three minutes per side. Remove fish from pan and set aside.
Add turmeric and lemon juice to pan and stir. Move fennel and radicchio mixture back to the center of pan, add white wine and stir; simmer for 4 minutes.
Add stock, and place fish back in pan. Put in oven for five minutes to finish cooking. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of fish; you may need to add more time for thicker pieces.
Place in shallow bowls and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkling of radicchio.
*Fresh turmeric is available at Rainbow Bridge Natural Foods in Ojai; Whole Foods Market in Oxnard and Thousand Oaks; Lassens Natural Foods and Vitamins, multiple locations; and Apna Spiceland in Thousand Oaks.
About this recipe
This recipe comes courtesy of Stefano Bernardi, chef and co-owner of Osteria Monte Grappa in Ojai.
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