Braised Halibut with Mushrooms and Leeks

For years, I didn’t cook fish, I only ordered it in restaurants. The whole process intimidated me. Now, the older, wiser me can’t be stopped. We eat a lot of fish. Don’t be put off by the fancy title of this recipe. It is so quick that it is worthy of weeknight status especially if you buy the mushrooms that have already been sliced. And, while the recipe calls for halibut sometimes I just can’t stomach the price. Instead, I make this dish with petrale sole, Pacific snapper/rockrish, or Pacific cod.

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound, white button mushrooms, thinly sliced, about 3 cups
2 large leeks, white and light-green parts only, thinly sliced, about 3 cups
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, plus more
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup of dry white wine
5 skinless Pacific halibut fillets, about 4 ounces each
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Melt the butter and heat the oil over medium heat in a deep, straight sided sauté pan with a lid. Add the mushrooms , leeks, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook until, about 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the broth and wine, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 3-4 minutes.
Season both sides of your halibut with salt and pepper. Nestle the fish among the mushrooms and leeks in the sauté pan. Bring the broth back to a boil, cover tightly, and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the fish is just cooked through, about 7 minutes. If using a less meaty fish, check for doneness after 4 minutes.
Serve the fish in shallow soup bowls, surrounded by the mushrooms, leeks and broth. Garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy.

YIELD: 5 servings