Seared Wild Halibut with Celery Root Purée, Roasted Mushrooms, Wilted Kale, and Parsley Oil
Golden-seared wild halibut over a silky celery root purée with a gentle, nutty sweetness, alongside deeply browned mushrooms and garlicky wilted kale, all drizzled with vivid green parsley oil.
Yield: Serves 4 · Active: 35 min · Total: 50 min · Best in North America from late fall through winter, when celery root is at its sweetest (wild Pacific halibut season runs roughly March through November, and frozen-at-sea is excellent year-round) · Best eaten: early evening
Ingredients
Celery root purée
1 large celery root (about 1½ lb), peeled and cubed
1 cup chicken bone broth
2 tbsp grass-fed butter
½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Parsley oil
1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
Mushrooms and kale
12 oz mixed mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, maitake, or oyster)
1 large bunch lacinato kale, stems removed, leaves torn
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, sliced
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt and a squeeze of lemon
Halibut
4 wild Pacific halibut fillets (about 6 oz each)
¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
1 tbsp ghee
Method
Make the parsley oil. Blanch the parsley in boiling water for 10 seconds, plunge it into ice water, then squeeze it very dry. Blend with the olive oil and salt for 1–2 minutes until bright green, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Blanching locks in the vivid color.
Make the purée. Simmer the celery root in the broth (plus water to cover), covered, 15–20 minutes, until very tender. Drain, saving the liquid, then blend with the butter, salt, and enough cooking liquid to make it silky.
Roast the mushrooms. Toss them with 1½ tbsp olive oil and salt and roast at 425°F for 20–25 minutes, until browned and crisp at the edges.
Wilt the kale. Warm the remaining oil with the garlic over medium heat, add the kale and salt, and toss 3–4 minutes until tender. Finish with lemon.
Sear the halibut. Pat it completely dry and season with salt. Sear in hot ghee over medium-high heat 3–4 minutes, until golden, then flip and cook 2–3 minutes more, until it just flakes and reads about 130°F. Halibut is lean, so pull it a little early; it dries out quickly.
Plate. Swoosh celery root purée onto each plate, add the kale and mushrooms, set the halibut on top, and drizzle parsley oil around everything.
Storage: Halibut, up to 2 days refrigerated; purée, mushrooms, and kale, up to 4 days; parsley oil, up to 1 week.
Nourishment Notes: Wild halibut brings lean complete protein, selenium, magnesium, B12, and B6. Celery root offers vitamin K, phosphorus, potassium, and fiber. Mushrooms bring ergothioneine, beta-glucans, and B vitamins. Kale offers glucosinolates, vitamin K, and folate. Parsley brings vitamin K, vitamin C, and apigenin.
For your cycle: Halibut's magnesium and kale's glucosinolates make this supportive in every phase, especially for estrogen metabolism through Phase 2 liver detoxification.
Sourcing
Halibut — wild Pacific halibut from Alaska or British Columbia, from Vital Choice or a trusted fishmonger. Skip Atlantic halibut, which Seafood Watch lists as "avoid"
Celery root, mushrooms, kale, parsley, garlic, and lemons — organic, from a farmers' market
Grass-fed butter and ghee — organic, cultured butter from 100% grass-fed cows; Ancient Organics ghee
Chicken bone broth — homemade from pasture-raised chicken, or Bonafide Provisions (organic, sold frozen)
Extra virgin olive oil — organic, single-estate, harvest-dated, in dark glass
Baja Gold sea salt
— Anna aka Food Marshall