Each week I contribute an article to the Whole Foods Market Cooking Boulder expanding on one of the 10 Ways Tuesday ideas. Below is the original article from this week, with a recipe for Roasted Halibut & Leeks with Citrus-Chive Butter. It’s a recipe from the early days of la Domestique, last spring, which I re-worked and added more photos to.

As winter solstice draws near, fresh produce can still be found under the snow. Leeks are a cold-loving allium that can be over-wintered in the garden. At the market, look for leeks with firm, white stalks and sprightly blue-green leaves. They pair beautifully with the citrus arriving at the grocery store right now. One of my favorite ways to cook with leeks is a recipe for Roasted Halibut & Leeks with Citrus-Chive Butter.

It’s a simple meal that comes together quickly, particularly suited to a weeknight supper. Leeks have a succulent quality and mild flavor that’s somewhere between chives and garlic. In this recipe parboiled leeks serve as a bed for halibut fillets, whose sweet juices seep into the crevices of the tender stalks. After only a few minutes in the oven the halibut is flaky and the leeks are meltingly tender. A quick compound butter made with citrus zest and chive placed atop the fish melts into a delicious sauce.

Roasted Halibut & Leeks with Citrus-Chive Butter provides a much-needed break from this season of over-indulgence at the buffet table. The bright, fresh flavors of citrus and leeks awaken the palate while delicate halibut is a welcome reprieve from heavy holiday meals. It’s a recipe eager to accommodate ingredient substitutions. I’ve used a petit but juicy clementine, a variety of mandarin orange, but any orange will do nicely. Chives can be exchanged for dill or tarragon to suite your fancy. Halibut has a firm but gentle texture and sweet flavor that shines in this recipe, but tilapia, trout, or even sea bass would be delicious. The most important thing is not to overcook the fish, and to use the freshest ingredients you can get your hands on. Cooking in the moment means embracing the seasons, and even in winter, nature still has vibrant fruits, vegetables, and seafood to offer.

Roasted Halibut & Leeks with Citrus-Chive Butter

serves 2

Ingredients

For the Citrus-Chive Butter

 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

zest of 1 clementine

2 teaspoon chopped fresh chives

1 pinch salt

For the Roasted Halibut & Leeks

4 leeks, small ones, about 1 inch in diameter or less

2 portions halibut fillet, about 1/3 pound each

Juice from 1 clementine

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make a compound butter by combining the butter, clementine zest, chopped chives, and pinch of salt in a small bowl. Stir the mixture with a spatula until ingredients are evenly distributed. Shape the butter into a quenelle or a log and chill in the fridge until firm, about half an hour.

Prepare the leeks: Take off their roots and coarse green tops. Slice the leeks almost in two with a lengthwise cut from the top end to within two inches of the base. Submerge the leeks in water and agitate them to remove any dirt. Simmer the leeks in a separate pot of water until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain the leeks and finish the lengthwise cut to divide the leeks into two halves.

Butter two gratin dishes or one larger casserole dish and place the leeks on the bottom. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the butter. Season the leeks with a couple pinches of salt. Place each halibut fillet atop its own bed of leeks. Pour clementine juice over the halibut along with the other tablespoon olive oil. Season the fish with a couple pinches of salt and a bit of freshly ground white pepper.

Roast the fish in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the halibut is cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Remove the halibut from the oven and serve immediately with a slice of citrus-chive butter on top.