Difficulty:

Prep Time : 30 minutes

Cook Time : 40 minutes

Servings : 2

Ingredients:

1 lb. Grouper filets, portioned into four 3”x 2” pieces

1 bunch    Broccolini

2 Tbsp.     EVO

1 med.White Onion, sliced thin

2 med.Tomatoes

2 peelsOrange

1 ea.Bouquet Garni (1/2 leek, 3 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf, 5 parsley stems)

2 ea.Star Anise

1 pinchhigh-quality Saffron

2 ½ tsp.Sea Salt

5 cupsWater

4 med. Garlic cloves, peeled, split, germ removed

4 ea.Egg Yolks

½ c. EVO

•Blanche broccolini florets in boiling, salted water until tender, then chill in an ice bath, remove and keep aside. 

•In a heavy bottomed brazier, add 2 Tbsp. EVO and sweat onion, bouquet garni, star anise and orange peel on medium heat for 10 minutes without coloring.

    •Add egg yolks and garlic to blender and puree.  Add a spoon of hot poaching liquid, then slowly stream in olive oil to create a thin mayonnaise consistency.

•Remove fish and hold warm.  Add broccolini to liquid to warm up.

•Remove bouquet garni, orange zest and star anise from the poaching liquid.  Remove broccolini and hold warm with the fish.

•Using a “spider” (large, flat slotted spoon), add the remaining vegetables to the blender with the aïoli, with a couple ladles of liquid and blend.  Start blender on lowest speed and increase to high—be careful, it will be very hot!

•Check consistency and add liquid if it needs to be thinned out a little.  Season with sea salt and white pepper.

•Toast large slices of baguette (same size as fish pieces) and make sure the fish/broccolini and your plates are warm.

•Plate up the croutons with a piece of fish on each and cover with a generous amount of sauce (about 1 cup per piece of fish) Add broccolini after sauce.

•Sprinkle fish and vegetables with a pinch of Fleur de sel and esplette.  Serve right away.

oThis is a great dish to do in advance as well: Prepare everything as described above, but slightly undercook the fish, then heat it up slowly stovetop in the pureed sauce.

oGive the broccolini a minute in the microwave in a loosely closed tupperware container.