I apologize for the low quality photo of this dish.
I made this for my parents this past weekend when they came down for a visit and I’m actually quite proud of how it all tasted.
Here’s a basic version of the recipe:
Roast shallot nage:
You’ll need a quart of nage, which is essentially a court bouillon. Sweat a leek or two, 1 bulb of fennel, 1 onion, garlic and 1 carrot with an ample amount of butter. Add roughly 2 quarts of water and 1 quart of white wine along with some fennel seed, peppercorn, parsley and a few sprigs of thyme. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and continue for 45-60 minutes. Meanwhile, roughly chop two shallots, toss with oil and roast at 400 until caramelized. Strain the nage and combine the shallots with 1 quart of the nage and reduce for 20-30 minutes. Strain & season. You can use the remaining nage to poach fish in or use as a base for cooking mussels; it provides a great base which you can enhance by adding many different things to it (saffron, roasted tomato, chorizo, roast shallot).
Pickled ramps
You’ll need pickled ramps; check out my previous post about canning which includes links to two different recipes.
The remainder of the dish is pretty basic. Julienne a bulb of fennel and sweat in 3-4 tablespoons of butter until tender. Slice the ramps into half inch pieces on the bias and heat through with the fennel.
For the crispy shallots, cut shallots into rings and place in a bowl with buttermilk. Drain and dredge in flour and deep fry at 350 until golden brown. Drain and season, reserve on paper towel.
Pan roast the halibut. While it’s in the oven, begin plating by spooning the fennel and ramps into the middle of a deep bowl. Place radish slices into the now empty and still warm pan. Ladle the nage into the bowls, then place the now warmed radish slices around the bowl. Take the fish out of the oven and place on top of the fennel and ramps and put a small handful of the shallot rings on top of the halibut.
Red Devil in the Kitchen 