Steamed Halibut

Mushroom, Blistered Cranberries, Pepitas, Couscous

Chef Rasika Venkatesa of Mourad | San Francisco

“Acid. It's like slicing through a piece of paper with a sharp knife but in a dish. You need to feel it. As a milder vinegar with a nuttier flavor, the Sherry Vinegar from Spain highlights the earthy mushrooms but does not overpower the halibut.” - Rasika Venkatesa

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Adapted by StarChefs | october 2022

INGREDIENTS:

Mushroom Espuma:
Yield: 2.5 kilograms
250 grams butter
220 grams thinly sliced shallots
150 grams thinly sliced garlic
680 grams roughly chopped maitake
200 grams roughly chopped king oyster mushrooms
24 grams harissa powder
12 grams ground coriander
65 grams dried porcini powder
130 grams cabernet sauvignon vinegar
Vegetable stock
1 gallon heavy cream
10 grams egg yolks
20 grams kosher salt

 Honey-blistered Cranberries:
Yield: 4 kilograms
4 sticks cinnamon
5 grams allspice berries
5 grams star anise
10 grams black peppercorns
5 pounds honey
1 kilogram fresh cranberries

 Harissa-spiced Pepitas:
Yield: 600 grams
Oil for deep frying
500 grams pumpkin seeds
30 grams harissa powder
15 grams salt

 Butter-braised Morels:
Yield: 900 grams
1 pound butter
150 grams leeks, cut into roundels
10 grams salt
1 pound morels

 King Trumpet Mushrooms:
Yield: 700 grams
3 bay leaves
10 grams thyme
2 sprigs oregano
10 grams coriander seeds
2 chiles de árbol
400 milliliters Sherry Vinegar from Spain
2 kilograms extra virgin olive oil
75 grams salt
2 pounds segmented king trumpet mushrooms

 Steamed Halibut:
Yield: 1 serving
50 grams salt
One 5-ounce halibut filet
1 banana leaf
1 stick cinnamon, smoked
2 star anise, smoked
2 chiles de árbol, smoked
2 bay leaves

 To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
Cooked couscous
Chopped preserved lemon
Fresh Origins borage flowers

METHOD:

For the Mushroom Espuma:
In a pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add shallots and garlic and cook until soft and translucent. Add chopped mushrooms, harissa, coriander, and porcini powder. Cook down. Deglaze with vinegar and stock, then continue to cook until au sec. Add cream and reduce by half. Drain through a perforated hotel pan set over a regular hotel pan. Working in 2 batches, add the solids to a Vitamix blender and purée, adding the mushroom liquid as needed. Add egg yolks and blend to combine. Pass through a chinois. Season with salt. Distribute to quart containers and reserve.

 For the Honey-blistered Cranberries:
Using a cheesecloth and butchers twine, wrap spices and bay leaves in a sachet. Place in a pot and add honey and 100 grams water. Bring to a boil. Place cranberries in a 4-inch-deep hotel pan. Pour the honey mixture over the cranberries. Submerge with a hotel pan cooling rack, then cover with parchment to avoid any foreign objects from falling into the liquid. Let cool at room temperature. Distribute the cranberries and liquid to quart containers. Reserve at room temperature. Liquid can be reused up to 3 times. 

 For the Harissa-spiced Pepitas:
Heat a deep fryer to 350°F. Add pumpkin seeds and fry until golden brown. Place on a paper-towel-lined sheet tray. Add harissa and salt. Toss to coat. Let sit to allow oil to drain. Distribute to pint containers with silica gel packs. Reserve at room temperature.

 For the Butter-braised Morels:
In a pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add leeks and salt. Reduce heat to low, then add morels. Let poach 10 minutes, lightly stirring until morels are tender but still have a bite. Let cool at room temperature. Reserve in butter.

 For the King Trumpet Mushrooms:
In a pot over medium heat, combine herbs, seeds, chiles, vinegar, olive oil, and salt. Bring to 170°F. Add mushrooms and poach 3 to 4 minutes, without letting the temperature exceed 170°F. Remove from heat and let cool. Distribute mushrooms and poaching liquid to airtight containers and reserve. Mushroom poaching liquid can be reused.

 For the Steamed Halibut:
In a nonreactive container, dissolve salt in 500 grams warm water. Let cool completely. Add halibut to the saltwater and let brine 30 minutes. Cut the banana leaf so it’s 4 inches larger than the halibut. Brush it against the stovetop to soften. Place the halibut, whole spices, and bay leaves in the middle of the leaf, then fold over like you’re wrapping a present. Tie with butcher's twine. Place in a steamer and steam 7 to 9 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 140°F to 145°F.

 To Assemble and Serve:
In a mixing bowl, mix to combine couscous with preserved lemon. Transfer to a small serving bowl and set aside. In a pan over low flame, heat 3 Butter-braised Morels and 3 King Trumpet Mushrooms until warmed through. Set aside.  Fill a cream-whipping canister with 1 quart Mushroom Espuma; charge twice. Place in a warm water bath and set aside. Unwrap Steamed Halibut and remove whole spices. Place the Steamed Halibut in the center of a shallow serving bowl. Place the warm mushrooms on top of and around the Steamed Halibut. Cover with the whipped Mushroom Espuma, creating a veil over the Steamed Halibut. Garnish with borage, 1 spoonful Honey-blistered Cranberries, and a sprinkle of Harissa-spiced Pepitas. Serve with the preserved lemon couscous.

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