seared opah with vine-ripe tomato garlic butter

Recipe by
Vicki Butts (lazyme)
Grapeview, WA

It's my understanding that Opah (moonfish) isn't easy to come by, so I was thrilled when I found some. Then I discovered that there are not many recipes out on the internet, so recipes are also hard to come by. I found this one and we loved both the fish and the recipe. I also had to search for a recipe for the Tomato Concasse, so included it here for convenience. Just as a note, I didn't use nearly as much butter as the recipe calls for. From Chef Linda Yamada of the Beach House in Hawaii.

yield 4 serving(s)
prep time 10 Min
cook time 20 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For seared opah with vine-ripe tomato garlic butter

  • 1 lb
    opah, cut into 3-ounce fillets
  • olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp
    garlic, finely minced
  • 1 Tbsp
    lemon juice
  • 3 Tbsp
    white wine
  • 2 Tbsp
    parsley, chopped
  • 1 lb
    unsalted butter, cut into cubes, room temperature
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • shredded parmesan cheese
  • TOMATO CONCASSE:
  • 1 lb
    vine ripened tomatoes
  • 2
    shallots, minced
  • 4 Tbsp
    unsalted butter

How To Make seared opah with vine-ripe tomato garlic butter

  • 1
    Make the Tomato Concasse: (The French word means to roughly chop).
  • 2
    Remove the core of the tomato with the tip of a small knife.
  • 3
    At the other end, lightly score (just break the skin) of the tomato by cutting an X.
  • 4
    Plunge the tomatoes into a pot of rapidly boiling water for 10 seconds (blanch).
  • 5
    Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and place into a bowl of ice water or under cold running water to halt the cooking process (this process is called 'refreshing').
  • 6
    The peel should now just slip off; if the tomatoes are not quite ripe, they may need to be blanched and refreshed again.
  • 7
    Place the tomatoes on a cutting board with the core side down and cut in half.
  • 8
    Remove the seeds with a teaspoon and discard.
  • 9
    Roughly chop the tomatoes to the desired size.
  • 10
    Gently cook the shallots and the tomatoes in butter without coloring them (this is called sweating) for 5 minutes and set aside until required.
  • 11
    For the Fish:
  • 12
    Heat the saute pan on medium heat until hot.
  • 13
    Add in oil; season both sides of fillets with salt and pepper.
  • 14
    Sear on both sides until medium done, approximately 4 - 5 minutes total depending on thickness of fish.
  • 15
    Remove from pan; add garlic; stir consistently.
  • 16
    Add tomato concasse, lemon juice and white wine on medium heat; let reduce until most liquid is gone.
  • 17
    On low heat, add in butter a little at a time.
  • 18
    Remove from heat; add in chopped parsley and season.

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