From “The Red Cat Cookbook,” by Jimmy Bradley and Andrew Friedman (Clarkson Potter, 2006)
Ingredients
1 1/2 large pink grapefruits
3/4 cup torn flat-leaf parsley
1/4 medium red onion, very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon heavy cream
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
Dash of hot sauce
1/2 cup canola oil
10 ounces shiitake mushrooms, caps only, thinly sliced (2 cups)
4 skinless halibut fillets (6 ounces each)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Directions
Section the grapefruit: Peel it by hand, then run a sharp, flexible knife blade over the surface of the fruit to remove as much pith as possible without cutting into the flesh. Separate the grapefruit into sections, then carefully remove the skin from 12 sections with the aid of a paring knife. Finally, remove and discard the seeds. Set the peeled sections aside. Squeeze 1/2 cup juice from the remaining sections, catching any seeds in your hands and discarding them.
To make the salad, put the grapefruit sections, parsley, onion and extra-virgin olive oil in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and very gently toss. Set aside.
To make the sauce, pour the grapefruit juice into a small nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Let boil until reduced to a glaze, approximately 5 minutes. Whisk in the cream and let reduce for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time. Whisk in a dash of hot sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.
Heat 1/4 cup of the canola oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until they begin to crisp, approximately 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside, covered, to keep warm.
Heat the remaining 1/4 cup canola oil in a saute pan set over medium- high heat. Season the fillets with salt and pepper and add them, skinned side up, to the pan. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the fish over and cook for another 3 minutes. (To check for doneness, you can use a sharp, thin-bladed knife and apply slight pressure to peek between the fish’s flakes and confirm that the flesh is opaque.)
Spoon some mushrooms onto the center of each of 4 dinner plates. Top with some salad, then a halibut fillet. Spoon the sauce around the mushrooms and serve.
