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Award-winning chef, author and forager Alan Bergo. Food is all around you.

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Halibut Cheeks with Wild Mint, and Watercress

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Halibut cheeks with wild peppermint, watercress and annarossa potatoesA few years ago I was reading a book on Venetian cooking when I came across something interesting: a dish of scallops cooked in a simple pan sauce with peppermint. Along with watercress and teeny nettles, peppermint is the first wild herb I start to see in the Midwest.

The mint seems to cry for Spring, coming up while the snow is still on the ground, when the weather is still cold and freezing at night. Interestingly, the cold gives some herbs I’ve seen (and nettles) a purple color, although I can’t speak to the science of it (chime in if you can).

Wild Peppermint

Wild peppermint or another cool-tasting mint adds great flavor to preparations with fish. Note the red coloring due to picking in cold weather too–nettles do the same thing.

Usually when I pick the local peppermint (Blephilia hirsuta), or as I call it, the toothpaste herb, (for it’s bracing cold that makes gum of the same name taste bland) It’s going in desert. Peppermint is a strong flavor, and, being a red-blooded American, I have a childhood dotted here and there with memories of large bowls filled with mint chocolate chip ice cream, so It tends to make me thing sweet, before savory.

If I’ve learned anything though, it’s that cultural references can be a scrying stone for revealing the potential of wild foods and ingredients I haven’t worked with, helping me to think out of the box, and put my European-centric culinary training aside.

So, with that in mind, I made this little braise of Spring fish cheeks (Halibut), and some of the first green things I can pick, like waterleaf, cress, or nettles back when I was still running Lucia’s. We served it as a small appetizer, meant to be a few exciting bites before the main courses came.

Halibut cheeks

Halibut cheeks, or any fish cheek are a special treat. Halibut cheeks get so big, I remember grilling them at one restaurant.

Quick little braises like this are a favorite way of mine to cook pieces of delicate meat or fish. When I have lean meat, (rabbit, pheasant) or pieces of fish trim or nibblets leftover from cleaning a filet, they can be used to throw together a small plate/appetizer, and it’s a great way to supplement more expensive offerings on a menu, for you chefs out there. 

I was feeling a little ambitious on the week we ran them, and the halibut cheeks shown in the recipe are great, but they’re expensive. If you want to get your hands on some you’ll probably need to call your fishmonger and order in advance, but it’s almost unnecessary as little scallops or pieces of a flaky whitefish are a great substitute, or small pieces chicken, rabbit or poultry. Fish cheeks are a great treat though, and if you’re in the Midwest, some places will carry walleye cheeks on request, and they’re great too, although they cook in a flash since they’re small.

So, if you have some peppermint growing around your area, the next time you step on some and smell that icy cold scent shoot up in the air, for a change of pace, you might reach for a few nuggets of white fish, a glug of wine, and a knob of butter, instead of a tea ball.

Notes

  • You can easily increase the proportions here and make this an entree. Make sure to have some bread around to mop up the sauce.
  • Note too that the pan sauce is made from chicken stock. I prefer to make pan sauces to serve with fish from chicken or poultry stock as opposed to traditional fumet made from fish frames. This is because fish stock is, fishy, and can be a little strong for people, whereas chicken stock can compliment just about anything.
  • The higher amount of collagen in chicken stock makes it easier to incorporate the butter into the sauce at the end too, very important if you opt to not dredge the cheeks or pieces of fish in flour before cooking.
  • Watercress is great in quick sautes like this, but other greens like arugula would be fine too. 
  • Blephilia hirsuta is not going to be to everyone’s taste here, so if you have access to other wild mints or common spear mint, use them. 

Halibut cheeks with wild peppermint, watercress and annarossa potatoes

Halibut cheeks with wild peppermint, watercress and annarossa potatoes
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Halibut Cheeks with Heirloom Potatoes, Watercress, and Wild Peppermint

Halibut cheeks, potatoes, and watercress in a butter sauce flavored with wild peppermint

Ingredients

  • 9 ounces halibut cheeks scallops, or other small pieces of white fish
  • All purpose flour as needed for dredging (optional)
  • 1/2 cup fingerling potatoes peeled and cut into 1/4 inch coins
  • Fresh wild peppermint or another mint, to taste, a tablespoon or so, sliced
  • Fresh watercress a generous handful, washed and cleaned and picked apart into small clusters
  • 1 cup chicken stock preferably homemade
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Fresh squeezed lemon juice to taste
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons flavorless cooking oil

Instructions

  • Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil, drop in the potatoes and cook until just tender, then remove and shock in an ice bath, drain and reserve.
  • Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Season the cheeks with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour, tap off the excess, and brown lightly. When the cheeks are lightly browned, remove them and keep warm to prevent overcooking.
  • Discard the oil in the pan. Deglaze the pan with the wine, then reduce by half. Add the potatoes and stock to the pan and simmer for a few minutes. Keep cooking until the stock is reduced by about half, then return the cheeks to the pan, warm through and add the butter. Be careful not to overcook the cheeks.
  • Swirl the pan on medium heat to incorporate the butter into the sauce and help thicken it. If the sauce gets too thick, add some more stock or water to thin it out. When the stock is a nice consistency and can coat the back of a spoon, add the lemon juice and mint to taste, double check the seasoning for salt and adjust as needed, then finally throw in the watercress at the last minute.
  • Plate the dish by spooning the potatoes into 4 preheated small soup or pasta bowls, then arrange a few cheeks on each pile of potatoes and drizzle the sauce equally over each portion and serve immediately.

Related

Previous Post: « Ramp Leaf Spaetzle
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. taija sigrist

    April 27, 2019 at 2:35 am

    Hi there – I am from Switzerland and really enjoying reading your ” blog” .
    Please could you tell me – what are ” ramps” looked up the word could not find what I was looking for – thanks so much –
    greetings
    Taija

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      April 27, 2019 at 9:10 am

      Allium triccocum and birdickii here. You might have Allium ursinum where you live.

      Reply
  2. Nicola Cataldo

    April 27, 2019 at 9:01 am

    Horticulture here. Red is a stress color for a lot of plants. Chlorophyll and its green color will recede under stressors like cold, drought or heat.
    Culinary here: How did you do this miracle? Just as I happen to have halibut in the fridge and mint in the garden and a birthday dinner to make for a friend tomorrow. Perfect!

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      April 27, 2019 at 9:09 am

      Thanks Nicola. Obviously you don’t have to use only Halibut, the theme here is more “white fleshed fish is interesting with mints”. But, it would be great it you have some!

      Reply
  3. George

    May 3, 2019 at 5:41 am

    I always love the dishes you create! The texture on the Halibut cheek or any cheek is truly amazing!!! I agree with you that mostly any flaky white fish will work,but the texture almost crab like with the cheeks is mind blowing!

    Reply
    • Alan Bergo

      May 6, 2019 at 9:15 pm

      Thanks George.

      Reply

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Alan Bergo
Milkweed buds are the second-best edible part of t Milkweed buds are the second-best edible part of the plant, besides the pods in my opinion. They need to be cooked to be edible. 

I only pick from common milkweed in areas where there’s very large colonies. 

I leave some buds to flower on each plant, I also avoid any tops that have insects or monarch caterpillars. Plenty of food to go around. 

#milkweedisafoodplant #foraging #milkweedbuds #asclepiassyriaca
HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mul HALP! I’ve been keeping an eye on two loaded mulberry trees and both got a bunch of fruit knocked down by the storms and wind. 

If anyone in West WI or around the Twin Cities knows of some trees, (ideally on private property but beggars can’t be choosers) that I could climb and shake with a tarp underneath, shoot me a DM and let’s pick some! 🤙😄

TIA

#throwadogabone #mansquirrel #beattlefruit #mulberries #shakintrees
Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of t Lampascioni, or edible hyacinth bulbs are one of the more interesting things I’ve eaten. 

These are an ancient wild food traditionally harvested in Southern Italy, especially in Puglia and the Salentine Peninsula, as well as Greece and Crete. I’ve seen at least 6-7 different names for them. 

A couple different species are eaten, but Leopoldia comosa is probably the one I see mentioned the most. They also grow wild in North America. 

The bulbs are toxic raw, but edible after an extended boil. Traditionally they’re preserved in vinegar and oil, pickled, or preserves in other methods using acid and served as antipasti. (Two versions in pic 3). 

They’re one of the most heavily documented traditional wild foods I’ve seen. There’s a few shots of book excerpts here.

The Oxford companion to Italian Food says you can eat them raw-don’t do that. 

Even after pickling, the bulbs are aggressively extremely bitter. Definitely an acquired taste, but one that’s grown on me. 

#traditionalfoods #vampagioli #lampascione #cucinapovera #lampascioni #leopoldiacomosa #foraging
Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke Went to some new spots yesterday looking for poke sallet and didn’t do too well (I’m at the tip of its range). I did see some feral horseradish though which I don’t see very often. 

Just like wild parsnip, this is the exact same plant you see in the store and garden-just escaped. 

During the growing season the leaves can be good when young. 

They have an aggressive taste bitter enough to scare your loved ones. Excellent in a blend of greens cooked until extra soft, preferably with bacon or similar. 

For reference, you don’t harvest the root while the plant is growing as they’ll be soft and unappealing-do that in the spring or fall. This is essentially the same as when people tell you to harvest in months that have an R in them. 

#amoraciarusticana #foraging #horseradishleaves #horseradish #bittergreens
In Italy chicken of the woods is known as “fungo In Italy chicken of the woods is known as “fungo del carrubo” (carob tree mushroom) as it’s one of the common tree hosts there. 

My favorite, and really the only traditional recipe I’ve found for them so far is simmered in a spicy tomato sauce with hot chile and capers, served with grilled bread. 

Here I add herbs too: fresh leaves of bee balm that are perfect for harvesting right now and have a flavor similar to oregano and thyme. 

Makes a really good side dish or app, especially if you shower it with a handful of pecorino before scooping it up with the bread. 

#chickenofthewoods #fungodelcarrubo #allthemushroomtags #traditionalfoods #beebalm
First of the year 😁. White-pored chicken of t First of the year 😁. 

White-pored chicken of the woods (Laetiporus cincinnatus) are my favorite chicken. 

Superior bug resistance, slightly better flavor + texture. They also stay tender longer compared to their more common yellow-pored cousins. Not a single bug in this guy. 

#treemeat #ifoundfood #foraging #laetiporuscincinnatus #chickenofthewoods
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