Pan seared halibut with capponata and zucchini puree

This dish is made of three parts: the capponata, a Sicilian eggplant stew, the zucchini cream and the fish..

Start with the capponata: dice onion, red bell pepper and zucchini  in equal measure and dice the same total amount of eggplant.

In a wide skillet saute the onion and pepper until soft, add garlic to taste, S&P, fennel seed, some chilli flakes and the zucchini; saute a little longer and add the eggplant, cooking it down a bit. Check seasoning.

You might need to add a bit more olive oil at this point, but be careful not to exceed because the eggplant WILL release all the oil that it absorbed.

At this point add  a few blended tomatoes and a pinch of oregano... let simmer uncovered to reduce and then add SUGAR and balsamic vinegar in a 1:2 ratio.

Crank the heat up and reduce further. Adjust salt, sugar and vinegar and  reserve.

Next is the zucchini cream: chop the zucchini and saute in olive oil with a liberal amount of garlic and a touch of FRESH rosemary OR mint.

Let caramelize a bit, add S&P and a splash of white wine. Let evaporate, transfer to a blender and blend life out of it.

The fish: Cut a nice, thick portion from the halibut loin, kiss it with a trace of vegetable oil and sear it, skin side down, in a very hot  heavy bottom skillet ( I use cast iron...) until you see the sides turning white; shut off the heat, flip the fish and let it seat there till done to your taste... time depends on your stove, the skillet used and stuff, but I'd say another minute for medium.

Ready! Plate it nicely and drizzle some good Extra Virgin olive oil and you're ready to go!

Cheers!

NOTES:
°With today's eggplant you don't really need to salt them in order to get the bitterness out of them. so you can skip that step...
°If you have some rosemary roast garlic or chillies infused olive oil, use it to drizzle the dish..it would add a great accent