We love to eat fish and love halibut. When Nikki from Liquid Farm suggested we pair their Golden Slope Chardonnay with halibut in parchment with fennel pollen and potatoes we thought we had to try it. Instead of making our own parchment bags, wee used these already made parchment bags. They made for a quick and easy dinner. We added thinly sliced potatoes and topped it with this fennel pollen on top that added an an incredible flavor to the fish.
We used beautiful new potatoes from Eatwell Farm that we found at the farmer’s market last weekend. This wine is so youthful that we decanted it per Nikki’s recommendation. We used this decanter, one of our favorites. Typically don’t decant whites, but it really helped it to come out of its shell.
- ¾ pound 1-inch-thick halibut fillet without skin
- 1 pound small Yukon Gold or new potatoes, about 8
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons fennel pollen
- Salt
- olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons chives, chopped
- Handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
- Parchment paper bags
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Season the halibut with salt and freshly cracked pepper.
- Wash the potatoes well and slice each into ¼-inch thick rounds. Use a Japanese mandoline on the thickest setting to make this a quick task. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a sauce pan. Add a generous pinch of salt and return the pan to a boil, then add the potato slices, reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until the potatoes are firm but tender. Drain the potatoes and cool under cold running water.
- Divide the potato slices between two parchment paper bags and drizzle them with olive oil and then sprinkle the chives over the potatoes. Sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Place the fish squarely on top of the potatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle the fish evenly with the fennel pollen, parsley, and chives. Fold the ends of the parchment bags twice, then place on a baking sheet, with the end of the bag folded under the fish and potatoes to hold them down. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the parchment is browned and you can hear the fish juices bubbling inside.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Slit the paper and serve. You can serve it along with greens and shaved fennel dressed and our Meyer Lemon and Shallot vinaigrette.