Orange Pernod Blue Fish, served sauteed fennel, and potatoes

 This recipe is not really healthy by any means because of the butter, but it is super flavorful. It is inspired from an Epicurious recipe I made last year. I found that recipe to be poorly worded and complicated. If you liked the easy fennel crusted blue fish recipe I posted last month on my blog, you will love this. The oranges and Pernod help to kick it up a few gourmet notches. The food processor makes this recipe a lot easier but everything can certainly be chopped by hand.



Note: Pernod is a anise flavored liquor. You don't need a lot for this recipe, but it is key so I wouldn't go without it. Besides, once you have a bottle of that you can whip up scallops in a snap.

Ingredients:
1 bulb fennel, sliced
2 potatoes, sliced
1 small yellow onion, sliced
3 T extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup water + 1/3 c
2 cloves garlic, minced
sea salt & freshly grated pepper
1/3 stick butter
2 6-8 oz pieces fresh wild bluefish
2 T Pernod
1 orange, skin cut off, cut into small chunks
1 1/2 t anise seeds, toasted

1. In a food processor, in separate batches, slice the potatoes, onions, and fennel.

2. Potatoes: In a medium sized frying pan, saute 2 (of the 3) T olive oil, 2/3 c water, a dash of salt and pepper, and potatoes until water is almost gone. (Potatoes will be slightly tender and a little slimy in texture). Then add garlic and saute until potatoes are brown and cooked through, stirring frequently. Take off the heat and leave uncovered or they will get mushy. (You can reheat them once the fish is almost done).

3. Veggies: In a large frying pan, saute remaining 1/3 c water, 1 T olive oil, fennel, and onion for a few minutes. Cut 1 T butter from the 1/3 stick and set aside for fish. Add remaining butter to the fennel mixture. Cook until tender and light brown. Place vegetables on plate and set aside.

4. Fish: Heat remaining 1 T of reserved butter in the large frying pan. Saute the fish on both sides until brown. Continue to cook until fish flakes away when poked with a fork. At this point, add 2 T pernod. Crank heat up to med-high to reduce the alcohol--this will only take like 30 seconds so watch it because it will brown fast.

5. Putting it all together: Immediately remove fish from pan, leaving Pernod juice in pan. Add fennel mixture and anise seeds. Saute until just hot. Stir in oranges and serve immediately with the fish and potatoes.