Tomato-Poached Halibut with Fresh Basil
Tomato-Poached Halibut with Fresh Basil
a stunning recipe from Leah Koenig's Portico cookbook
My cookbook collection is modest for someone who’s made a career steeped in food for the last 25 years. Since paring down a few years ago, I’m very discerning before adding any new ones to the already full shelves.
I bought Leah Koenig’s Portico about a year after its release, and my only regret is not having purchased it sooner. Portico, her seventh cookbook, is an homage to Roman Jewish cuisine, filled with lovely stories and history, and equally incredible recipes. I’ve made a few in the last month, all of which have been real winners.
The recipe I’m sharing today came to Leah by way of Silvia Nacamulli, as she mentions in the headnote. I’ve paired her recipe down to feed just two people from the original 4 to 6. Feel free to scale up if serving a crowd. This would be a show-stopper to bring to the table served straight from the skillet.
Leah’s recipe calls for whole canned tomatoes. While the basement is filled with a few dozen jars of freshly canned passata and marinara sauce, I had no whole tomatoes on hand the first time I made it.
Instead, I decided to fire-roast the plump heirloom tomato sitting on the counter from a visit to the farm stand a few days earlier. This is how I’ve written the recipe below. If you want to skip that step, just swap on an equal amount of whole canned tomatoes, and crush them with your hands, proceeding with the recipe as directed.
Leftovers heat nicely in a skillet. I ate it the first night served with cooked pasta, and enjoyed leftovers the next day served over polenta. My vote is for serving this over polenta but rice or orzo would be equally good. Even a crunchy loaf of bread and salad would round this out into a full meal—you just need something to soak up the fragrant, cinnamon-scented sauce be it bread or a starchy side.
One last note about the liberties I took here—Leah’s recipe calls for regular Italian basil. I opted for a combination of Thai & regular. Thai basil has an extra concentrated licorice undertone.
Leah has a great Substack called The Jewish Table, so be sure to check it out when you’re done reading this. I’ll be cheering her on at this week’s IACP awards, hoping Portico wins a well-deserved award for best International cookbook. Regardless of the outcome, Portico is a winner and has earned a beloved space on my cookbook shelf for years to come.
Be well, and remember to be kind. —xo, j.
If you’ve enjoyed reading this post, I’d greatly appreciate your support in becoming a paid subscriber. Paid subscribers have full access to my recipe archives, printable recipe downloads, and enjoy occasional e-cookbooks (see them all here). Become a paid subscriber today for as little as $2.50 month (when paid annually). Click here to subscribe or upgrade to paid.