Grilled Halibut à la Niçoise with Haricots Verts, Olives, Cherry Tomatoes, and Anchovy Butter
This warm salad is pure southern France: tomatoes, olives, anchovies, basil, green beans, and soft-cooked eggs. It’s easy to make, but it helps to do some of the steps beforehand. As long as your spinach is cleaned and your haricots verts, potatoes, and eggs are cooked, you won’t have to do much until the last minute, when you’re pulling it all together. While your potatoes are roasting in the oven, light the grill, have a glass of rosé, and look calm, cool, and collected as you wait to finish the last-minute tasks. Recruit an unsuspecting guest or your significant other to grill the halibut while you brown the anchovy butter and finish the warm salad.
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Season the halibut with the zest of one lemon, 1 tablespoon thyme, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Step 3
Toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. Place the potatoes in a roasting pan, cover with foil, and cook 30 to 40 minutes, until they’re tender when pierced. (Depending on their size, age, and variety, the cooking time will vary.)
Step 4
Light the grill 30 to 40 minutes ahead of time. Take the halibut out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before cooking it, so it comes to room temperature.
Step 5
Blanch the haricots verts in heavily salted water 2 to 3 minutes, until they’re tender but still al dente. Remove to a baking sheet or platter to cool. Bring the water back to a boil, and carefully lower the eggs into the water. Turn the heat down to a very low simmer, and cook the eggs exactly 9 minutes. Remove the eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool completely. Peel the eggs, and cut them in half. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 6
Place the spinach and olives in a large salad bowl.
Step 7
Heat a large sauté pan over high heat for 1 minute. Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil, and add the sliced shallots and remaining tablespoon thyme to the pan. Cook 1 minute, until the shallots are just wilted. Add the haricots verts and the potatoes, and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly round pepper.
Step 8
When the vegetables are hot, toss them into the bowl of spinach and olives. Season with another 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Toss well to dress the spinach and wilt it slightly. Taste for seasoning. Arrange the salad on a large platter. Tuck the eggs among the spinach leaves.
Step 9
Meanwhile, when the coals are broken down, red, and glowing, brush the halibut with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the fish on the grill, and cook 2 minutes. Give the fish a quarter-turn, and cook a minute or two more. Turn over, and cook until it’s just barely cooked through; peek inside to check for doneness. When it’s done, the halibut will begin to flake and separate a little, and the center will still be slightly translucent. Remember, the fish will continue to cook a little more once you take it off the grill. Arrange the fish on top of the salad.
Step 10
Return the vegetable pan to the stove, and heat over medium-high. Add the butter, and cook a few minutes, until it starts to brown and smells nutty. Add the anchovy, cherry tomatoes, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and a few grindings of black pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, shaking the pan often, until the tomatoes release some of their juice. Squeeze some lemon juice into the butter, and taste for balance and seasoning. Stir in the basil and remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Spoon the sauce over the fish and around the salad.
Note
Step 11
Season the fish with lemon and herbs early in the day. You can roast the fingerlings, blanch the haricots verts, clean the spinach, cut the cherry tomatoes, clean the anchovies, and cook the eggs ahead of time.
