For tapenade:
16 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Kalamata olives (pitted and cut in half)
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (rehydrated in water, then drained and julienned)
1 tablespoon fresh basil, cut in chiffonade
1/4 cup capers
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Kosher salt, to taste
For fish:
4 halibut fillets (6 ounces each)
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons clarified butter
To make tapenade: Combine garlic cloves and olive oil and bake in 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until garlic cloves are soft. Set aside to cool in oil. Mix remaining tapenade ingredients in bowl. Add roasted garlic and all the oil. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. If time allows, let tapenade sit for half an hour before using, to allow flavors to meld. To make fish: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season both sides of fillets with salt and pepper. Put clarified butter in a large oven-proof sauté pan over high heat. Bring butter to smoking point; put fish in pan (skin side up if skin is still on the fish) and turn heat to medium. Sear until bottom is golden brown (about 2 minutes). Flip fish with fish spatula; place pan in oven 4 to 5 minutes. Serve fish with tapenade. Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: 468 calories, 13g carbohydrate, 38g protein, 29g fat (7g saturated), 72mg cholesterol, 2g dietary fiber, 860mg sodium. Calories from fat: 56%.
from Michael Dunn, chef of Yankee Pier in San Jose, Calif.
