Margaritaville’s Halibut with Artichoke Ragout

Margaritaville's Halibut with Artichoke Ragout

Margaritaville’s Halibut
With Artichoke Ragout

🌴 🍋‍🟩 🦈 🍹 🧂 🎸 🦜 🍔
A Jimmy Buffett Tribute

It started with Jimmy’s passing on September 1, 2023, when I headed to the kitchen to make his famous Cheeseburger in Paradise—the kind Jimmy sang about with such enthusiasm: a big burger on a warm bun, loaded just the way he liked it. Since then, the tradition has continued with gumbo, jambalaya, rum cake—and plenty of Margaritaville spirit along the way.

This year, we’re heading straight to Margaritaville: The Cookbook for Pan-Seared Halibut with Artichoke Ragout, a recipe from JWB Prime Steak and Seafood, the restaurant named for Jimmy himself.

The halibut gets a light coating of breadcrumbs before it’s pan-seared until golden, then served with a savory ragout of artichokes, Kalamata olives, garlic, white wine, butter, lemon, and plenty of fresh parsley.

My version takes a terrific shortcut with frozen artichoke bottoms. There’s no trimming, peeling, or removing the choke. Cut into substantial wedges, the artichokes brown beautifully while keeping their shape—and they’re just the right size for dipping into a little garlic mayo on the side.

Add a margarita, turn up the Jimmy Buffett playlist, and raise a glass to Jimmy.

It’s 5 o’clock somewhere. 🦜

Margaritaville's Halibut with Artichoke Ragout

Pan-Seared Halibut Recipe

Continue reading “Margaritaville’s Halibut with Artichoke Ragout”

Cooking for the Stars: Wolfgang Puck’s Kale Salad

wolfgang puck kale salad
85th Academy Awards Governors Ball Menu
Kale, Grilled Artichoke, Radicchio, Pine Nut, Golden Raisin
Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

With 19 Oscar menus under his belt, Chef Wolfgang Puck has created another inventive bill of fare for the 85th Academy Awards Governors Ball including old favorites, signature smoked salmon creations, and several fashionable new dishes. This year’s menu includes many vegetarian and vegan offerings, as well as items like Kobe Burger with Aged Cheddar & Remoulade and Chicken Pot Pie with Black Truffle. The Chef shares his menu in photos on a page called “A Taste of the Oscars” here. (Check out those Huckleberry Macarons!) But it was the vegan Kale Salad that immediately caught my attention ~ bright winter color and various textures pair with smoky artichoke and a sunny sweet Meyer lemon vinaigrette. I served the salad as a meal, unlike at the Governors Ball, where some 30 to 35 dishes will be served as small bites to over 1600 people.

And The Oscar Goes To:

photo credit: wolfgangpuck.com

Raw kale is a bit chewy and not exactly tender, so it is best sliced thin, taking care not to press down and bruise the beautiful curly edges. Mildly bitter and peppery radicchio is also thinly sliced. I used fast & fabulous packaged grilled artichoke hearts from Monterey Farms which are available at Whole Foods Market. Without a recipe, I prepared this salad from the photo ~ tossing kale with radicchio, artichoke hearts, lightly toasted pine nuts, and golden raisins with a Meyer lemon vinaigrette. The plate was garnished with a few Meyer lemon wheels and a sprinkling of nuts and raisins.

Continue reading “Cooking for the Stars: Wolfgang Puck’s Kale Salad”

Artichoke, Spicy Tomato Broth, Two Ways

globe artichoke tomato broth
Globe Artichoke in Spicy Tomato Broth
Garlic, Capers, Chiles de Arboles, Croutons

artichoke heart crostini
Artichoke Heart Crostini
Tomato, Garlic, Capers, Chiles de Arboles

☆☆☆☆☆

Steamed artichoke served with a ramekin each of drawn butter and mayonnaise is so 70’s. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, it’s a delicious classic pairing after all. I remember my date, his name was Jeff, teaching me how to eat an artichoke. The year was 1978 at The Chart House in Aspen, Colorado. He showed me how to pull the outermost petals and dip them in the melted butter. How to scrape the meat from each petal with my bottom teeth. Slow, methodical, sensual. Fast forward 34 years, I’m still a fan of artichokes, but alas, not so much a fan of saturated fat accompaniments…

Continue reading “Artichoke, Spicy Tomato Broth, Two Ways”

Tuscan Kale Soup with Artichoke & Chicken Sausage

tuscan kale soup
Tuscan Kale Soup
Artichoke Hearts & Chicken Sausage
Chicken Broth with Flavored with Fennel Seed & Red Chile Flakes
Served with Toasted Ciabatta

Back in January, a recipe for “Italian Chicken Sausage and Artichoke Soup with Chard” in Sunset magazine caught my interest. Over the past months I’ve added onion, garlic, fennel seed, and red chile flake to the original recipe. And sometimes substitute kale for chard. My procedure is quick and easy, and the synergistic result far exceeds the expectation of boxed chicken broth and canned artichoke hearts.

In less than a half hour, this soup is on the table. I’ve served it as an everyday meal, as a starter to a rustic dinner topped with ricotta salata, and as an elegant first course. This year my Thanksgiving menu has a lighter aura, so this Tuscan Kale Soup will replace the heavier puréed soups of the past.

Continue reading “Tuscan Kale Soup with Artichoke & Chicken Sausage”