Mother's Day Recipes: Chef John Fraser's Steamed Trout, Spring Halibut

May 8, 2009 -- Up-and-coming chef John Fraser won acclaim at a relatively young age when he became executive chef at Compass in New York, a restaurant awarded two stars by the New York Times. He's now executive chef at Dovetail, where he finds inspiration in fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Below, find three of his delicious recipes, perfect for a Mother's Day feast. On page 1: Steamed Brook Trout, in tin foil. On page 2: Spring Halibut. On page 3: Soft-boiled egg with herbes de Provence and artichokes.

Steamed Brook Trout, in tin foil

Recipe courtesy of John Fraser, Dovetail

Ingredients:

1 trout, scaled, gutted, butterflied

1 cup haricots verts (green beans)

1 cup yellow wax beans

½ bunch oregano

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and white pepper to taste

¼ cup almonds, toasted

1 tablespoon butter

1 lemon, cut in rounds

½ bunch watercress

1 shallot

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Stuff trout with the rounds of lemon, oregano and half of the butter, and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Place the beans on the tin foil and put the trout directly on top. Drizzle with the olive oil and wrap loosely in tin foil, sealing the edges. Place in a pre-heated oven for 15 minutes at 325. Let stand in the tin foil for 5 minutes after removing from the oven. Top with almonds and watercress.

Spring Halibut

Recipe courtesy of John Fraser, Dovetail

Ingredients:

2 10-ounce halibut steaks

1/8 tablespoon grated nutmeg

2 cups extra virgin olive oil

2 cups grape seed oil

3 sprigs of thyme

3 cloves of garlic

1 spring onion, cooked slowly in butter till soft

1 cup peas, cooked till al dente

1 cup morel mushrooms, sautéed

½ cup tomato concasse (peeled, de seeded, diced small)

5 mint leaves, julienne mint

1 tablespoon butter

½ cup veg stock

Chardonnay vinegar to taste ½ cup spinach leaves

Instructions:

Heat grapeseed oil, olive oil, thyme and garlic in a heavy-bottom pot to 150 degrees. Season halibut with salt and white pepper. Place in oil for 8 minutes or until translucent.

In a pot, place onions, veggie stock and butter. Season with chardonnay vinegar. Add peas, spinach, mint and tomatoes. Wilt for 3 minutes and spoon into a bowl.

Place the halibut on top of the pea and onion ragout, sprinkle with nutmeg and top with sautéed morel mushrooms.

Soft-boiled egg, herbs de Provence with artichokes

Recipe courtesy of John Fraser, Dovetail

Ingredients:

2 eggs

6 artichokes, cooked barigoule style (see recipe below)

¼ cup carrot puree (see recipe below)

1 tablespoon herbs de Provence

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon butter

6 pieces of serrano ham, about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide

6 pearl onions (see recipe below)

Instructions:

Place the egg in gently boiling water for 5 minutes and 25 seconds. Immediately remove from water and cool shell till it can be handled. Peel the egg, being careful not to disturb the yolk -- it's still runny.

Heat heavy cream, milk, butter and herbs de Provence till almost boiling and pull off the fire. Let rest for 10 minutes and strain.

Heat onions and artichokes in a pot until warm.

Heat carrot puree till warm.

Place carrot puree in center of the bowl. Gently put the egg in the puree. Place artichokes and onions around the egg. Top the artichokes with the serrano ham.

Use an immersion blender to froth the herbs de Provence liquid.

Only plate the bubbles.

For the carrot puree:

1 cup carrot juice

1 cup sliced, peeled carrots

1 tablespoon butter

pinch cayenne pepper

salt to taste

Instructions:

Combine all ingredient in a heavy bottom pot. Reduce until the juice has completely evaporated. Place while hot in a vita prep and blend till smooth. Pass through a chinoise to remove any large pieces.

For the glazed onions:

Place the onions in a pot with water, a teaspoon of sugar, a teaspoon on butter and a pinch of salt. Cook until soft and all the water has evaporated creating a glaze on the onion. Season with a little red wine and vinegar.

For the artichokes:

2-3 artichokes

Ingredients :

1 onion

1 carrot

1 leek

2 cloves minced garlic

1 lemon

1 cup chicken stock

6 whole artichokes

1/4 cup olive oil

1 bay leaf

3-4 sprigs fresh thyme

kosher salt

cracked black pepper

1/2 cup white wine

Instructions:

Peel artichokes, removing the tough green skin and the petals. Sweat the onion, garlic, leek, and carrots in the olive oil until soft. Add the white wine and lemon juice and reduce until evaporated. Add the artichokes the chicken stock, the bay leaf, thyme, pepper, and salt and bring to a boil. Skim the pot and reduce to a low simmer until artichokes are soft. Cool the artichokes in the liquid.