Recipe: Halibut with Fennel, Purple Onions, and Yellow Tomatoes in Packets

the appetizer:

Miss Vickie's Big Book of Pressure Cooker Recipes by Vickie Smith, includes easy-to-make recipes like Normandy Chicken; Posole (Mexican Pork and Green Chile Stew); Halibut with Fennel, Purple Onions, and Yellow Tomatoes in Packets.

Cookbook

Halibut with Fennel, Purple Onions,
and Yellow Tomatoes in Packets

Serves 4

Yellow tomatoes aren't grown in large commercial quantities, but a few usually appear in the specialty produce section of most supermarkets from August through late November. With a mild, somewhat sweet flavor, they are a deep, almost school-bus yellow color and come in a variety of sizes, from the size of grapes to huge 1-pounders. The vivid white of the halibut, the bright yellow of the tomatoes, and the rich green of the fennel leaves give this dish flavor and make it visually appealing as well.

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 large yellow tomato, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 purple onion, thinly sliced
4 halibut fillets, up to 1 inch thick
Lemon pepper to taste
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, sliced, for garnish
4 sprigs fennel fronds

Butter the centers of 4 sheets of aluminum foil. For each of the 4 packets, place 1 slice of yellow tomato and 1 slice of fennel on the buttered surface. Break apart 1 onion slice and arrange the onion rings on top of the tomato and fennel slices. Place a halibut fillet on top of the onion rings and season each with the lemon pepper and 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice. Arrange 2 lemon slices on top of each fillet and add a sprig of the fennel fronds. Fold the edges of each packet over, sealing the top, and then fold up the sides, sealing the packets tightly. Place the rack in the pressure cooker and add 1/2 cup water. Arrange the packets on the rack, overlapping as little as possible. Lock the lid in place. Bring to 15psi over high heat, immediately reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting to stabilize and maintain that pressure, and cook for 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and use the cold water release method (see page 30 of the book) to depressurize. Carefully open the lid immediately after the pressure drops. Use long-handled tongs to remove the packets from the pressure cooker. Use kitchen scissors to open each packet, being especially careful of escaping steam. Transfer the contents of each packet to individual serving plates.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with hot rice.