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The discovery….

The pacific northwest is full of nooks and crannies that open up my heart and mind to amazing wonders, and there is a town north of Seattle about 67.2 miles, that does just that….called LaConner, Washington.

LaConner sits inside a little inlet, of the Puget Sound across from Whidbey Island’s Deception Pass, called ‘The Hole in the Wall Bay’. Its a small fishing village that houses vintage antique shops, dungeness crab fishermen docks, amazing restaurants, and a native american fish company called The Swinomish Fishing Co. This little botique village is a symbol of what makes Washington such a great state and the north Puget Sound, an undiscovered area of Washington. Typically, the surrounding area is known world wide for the Skagit Tulip Festival, the migration of the Bald Eagles & millions of Snow Geese that happen every March/April perennially. I am going to share with you a one place that you have to visit, should you choose to visit…

As you exit I-5, you’ll drive west about 17 miles to get to LaConner, WA; on your way you’ll see a fruit stand here and an orchard there. Each of them, with their homeade plywood painted signs, bidding you and inviting you to stop and pick the fresh honey crisp apples, or buy the royal sweet corn that has been locally harvested for the past 3 decades and beyond. One – Snow Goose Produce (http://www.snowgooseproducemarket.com/) is a MUST to stop. Vico Rust and Erika are the 2nd generation that recently took it over from his parents and have continued to allow the raw sustainable quality to rise and make it such monumental, yet niche, landmark. As I stopped, with local family, I made it a point to get some their garden fresh (yes, the garden/orchards that is directly behind the shop/stand) veggies & apples. This time I also bought some fresh wild Halibut that just came out of the local fishery, and create the following dish:

The dish…

Roasted Wild Halibut – Ginger, Portobello & Lemongrass Tom Kha Gnocchi

1/2 lb. Wild Halibut Filet

  • 2TB melted Grass Fed Butter
  • Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
  • Juice of 1/2 of Lemon
  • 3 Cloves of Garlic Minced
  • Coat top of filet w/ dried/fresh Thyme
  • Direction: Skin side down, put in a small glass roasting dish and set your oven to 375 degrees, cover with tinfoil and roast for 12 min, then take out & take off the aluminium foil and put it back in the oven for another 10 to 12 min. Note: As you take it out of the oven, touch it with your finger and to feel that it is cooked all of the way through. The fish will look cooked through on the sides, and it will have a good bounce on the top of the filet.
  • Skin side down, put in a small glass roasting dish and set your oven to 375 degrees, cover with tinfoil and roast for 12 min, then take out & take off the aluminium foil and put it back in the oven for another 10 to 12 min. Note: As you take it out of the oven, touch it with your finger and to feel that it is cooked all of the way through. The fish will look cooked through on the sides, and it will have a good bounce on the top of the filet.

Ginger, Portabello, & Lemongrass Tom Kah bone broth…with Gnocchi

  • 2″ Ginger Root – Peeled & Minced
  • 3 – Leek/Garlic Scapes Minced
  • 1 – Can of Roasted Hatch Green Chilies
  • 2 – Portobello Mushroom tops – Sliced
  • 1/2 bunch of Cilantro – Minced (including the stems)
  • Juice of 1/2 of a lime – (if you have lime kafir leave or can get them add them in too.)
  • 2 TB Coconut Oil (refined)
  • Season with Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
  • Saute all of these ingredients on medium, in a cast iron pan..(trust me cast iron is best). Until you have it all it softening and starting to caramelize.

Gnocchi

  • Use Trader Joe’s Potato Gnocchi – (which I did for this dish)
  • Here’s the recipe I followed in the other post in my blog: (Mario B’s Gnocchi)
  • Cook it 1/2 way, set a side and I’ll show you what to do with it later…
  • 8oz. of Chicken or Beef Bone Broth (Note: Chicken Broth will be prettier on the plate in the end)
  • 4oz.(1/2 cup) Water from the Gnocchi
  • Add this in to the sauted ingredients, from above, and allow it to reduce by half and simmer creating a naturally thicker sauce – rather than a soup/broth. Then turn it down to simmer add in the gnocchi.
  • 1 Can of Coconut Milk. (Note: it has to be thick, organic, contains ONLY coconut milk)
  • Shake the can really well, and stir in to the simmering sauce until 100% incorporated. The key is you need to add this in at the very end after the sauce & remainder of the ingredients are 100% complete. This will finish the sauce and allow you to keep as much of the coconut milk flavor that will pair amazing with the fish.

Plating & Finish

  • Be sure to use a tall paper plate or paper bowl for eating. Put the Tom Kha Gnocchi on the bottom (i like there to be equal parts mushrooms to gnocchi). Lay the filet on top and use a slice/twist of a lemon and some left over cilantro to provide the needed color, to make it killer looking.

 

Traveled up to LaConner, Washington yesterday. On the way, there is a small fish market and Garden stand that has very few but – top-of-the-line fish! The wild halibut that I grabbed there yesterday was absolutely - phenomenally fresh! This is one of three 1/2 pound fillets...I roasted it with thyme, Grass-fed butter, and lemon... I paired it with potato gnocchi in a Tom Kah inspired portobello, lime, & bone broth sauce. #paperplatechef #WildHalibut #laconnerwashington #NorthPugetSound #SeattleFood #TomKah #thaiinspired #Gnocchi #Yummy #Mouthwatering

Traveled up to LaConner, Washington yesterday. On the way, there is a small fish market and Garden stand that has very few but – top-of-the-line fish! The wild halibut that I grabbed there yesterday was absolutely – phenomenally fresh! This is one of three 1/2 pound fillets…I roasted it with thyme, Grass-fed butter, and lemon… I paired it with potato gnocchi in a Tom Kah inspired portobello, lime, & bone broth sauce. #paperplatechef #WildHalibut #laconnerwashington #NorthPugetSound #SeattleFood #TomKah #thaiinspired #Gnocchi #Yummy #Mouthwatering

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