Potato-Crusted Halibut

Filed under Seafood

Servings: 4

Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell. The infused oil can be made ahead and used for lots of other things. Work quickly, slicing potatoes for one fillet at a time; they aren't soaked, so they keep their starch and stick together, but they can brown.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup Olive oil, extra-virgin
6 clove Garlic, smashed
1 bunch Thyme, bundle
2 Bay leaf
1 Lemon, zest removed in wide strips with a peeler
1 pinch Red pepper flakes, crushed
1 tbsp Fennel seed
3 Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
4 Halibut, 6-ounce Pacific halibut fillets
Kosher salt

Directions

Bring the olive oil, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, lemon zest, red pepper and fennel seeds to a boil in a small saucepan, then turn off the heat and let sit at least 1 hour.
On a mandoline, slice 1 potato paper-thin into elongated rounds. On parchment, overlap 3 slices in a vertical line, pressing them together, and repeat to make a 4 by 6-inch rectangle that looks like fish scales.
Brush the potatoes with the infused oil and sprinkle with salt. Salt a fillet, lay it nearer one end and roll it up in the potatoes using the parchment, pressing so they adhere. Brush the outside with oil to seal. Refrigerate while you make the rest, and chill at least 1 hour.
Generously cover the bottom of a large nonstick pan with the infused oil over medium-high heat. Season the fish with salt and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, spooning the oil over to baste, until the potato "scales" are crisp and golden. Serve.