Local Halibut in Albariño Crazy Water

From Gather Restaurant in Berkeley

Serves 4

• 1 pound local halibut, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 12 fresh mussels
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 whole shallots, thinly sliced
• ½ bulb fennel, thinly sliced
• 2 Calabrian chiles (or other hot Italian chile), thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons high quality tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 cup Albariño (an aromatic white wine from northwestern Spain)
• ½ cup seawater or salted tap water
• ¼ bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon oregano, chopped

Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet and add olive oil. When oil is hot, add the shallots, fennel, chiles, and garlic. Sauté 4 minutes until soft and lightly caramelized. Add the tomato paste, cumin, and coriander, sauté 1 minute more, and then add the Albariño wine and cook approximately 2 minutes until the alcohol is cooked out.
Add the seawater and simmer on low heat for 6 minutes, until all the flavors start to come together. Add the halibut and mussels and cook for 2 minutes until halibut is cooked through and mussels have opened. Add the parsley and oregano. Serve in shallow serving bowl and finish with a drizzle of high quality olive oil.