I picked up halibut at Costco tonight, and Jay came over for dinner. I had fennel in my Planet Organics delivery this week. I was looking to do something different with it – I’ve only braised it before, which is good.
– The halibut recipe isn’t really a recipe but an article about cooking fish in parchment paper. I like to use halibut or sea bass for this, because I like salmon to be seared rather than steamed. The raw fish is topped with sauteed mushrooms and dabs of compound butter – I made tarragon butter tonight. Before sealing up the parchment with some egg white, I add a little white wine. This is a good dish for guests, because it can be made an hour or two ahead of time and only takes about ten minutes to cook.
– The fennel recipe had an error in it. It called for 1/3 cup of olive oil total, but in the directions calls for 1/4 cup twice. The smaller amount is definitely right, and I’d probably even use less than that. Larry and Jay both liked it, though. I originally wasn’t sure about it, but I thought it turned out okay.

• Halibut en Papillote (Fine Cooking #45, July 2001, p. 29)
• Fennel and Onion Compote (Fine Cooking #41, November 2000, p. 51)
• Pasta with butter and parmesan

Wine: Villa Maria 2002 Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand). Neither Jay nor Larry liked this wine. I’ve bought it before and like it and I thought it was good with dinner.