Tilapia with Citrus-Braised Endive

This was an on-the-fly adaptation of a Thomas Keller (Bouchon) recipe. I was originally going to go with fennel and such for this, but when Vanessa found the local grocer out of fennel. She went with some Belgian endive instead.

I got the idea to combine the endive with some citrus and remembered that we had some great south Texas valley grapefruits (the best around!) and just went from there. I dug up a Bouchon recipe that was somewhat similar and made some modifications - et viola!

Nice interplay here between the citrus, honey and bitter endive. Tilapia is a nice, meaty white fish that complimented these flavors well. The dish screamed out for some fresh herbs (parsley and/or tarragon would have been my choice), but no luck this time.

We may see this one again when I am back in a proper kitchen with proper food stores.

Tilapia with Citrus-Braised Endive

ENDIVE
4 heads Belgian endive
kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried thyme
¾ cup grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, skin on, smashed
white pepper
½ cup CHICKEN STOCK
2 tablespoons light unsalted butter, cold, cut into chunks

TILAPIA
400 g tilapia fillets
salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon dried thyme

FOR THE ENDIVE: Pull off and discard any brown exterior leaves. Cut off the bottom of each endive-you'll see the rings of the core. Use a paring knife to cut a cone shape from the bottom of each endive to remove as much of the core as possible.

Salting the endive will pull out any bitter taste. Put about 1/2 inch salt in a container large enough to hold all the endive upright. Stand the endive upright in the salt. The salt should reach about one quarter of the way up the endive; if not, add more salt as necessary. Cover the endive with a dampened towel and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, or up to a day.

Rinse the endive under cold running water. Cut off about 1/2 inch from the bottom of each endive and cut lengthwise in half. Cut a V shape from the bottom of each half to remove any remaining core or discolored portion. Remove leaves a few a time, lay them on a paper towel to drain.

Tie together the thyme sprigs and lavender sprigs, if using, with kitchen twine. Bring the orange juice and honey to a boil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the herb bundle, bay leaves, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of white pepper. Add the endive (the liquid should cover most of the endive). Cover with a parchment lid (see page 326) and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the endive is translucent but still has a slight bite. Remove from the heat. (The endive can be made ahead to this point, cooled, and refrigerated in its liquid for up to a day.)

Drain the endive, reserving the liquid. Discard the herb bundle and bay leaves and strain the liquid into a saucepan. Add the stock and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer to reduce to 1 1/2 cups.

FOR THE TILAPIA: Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle the tilapia with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, cook the tilapia until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Flip the fish over and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until done.

TO SERVE: Add the endive to the reduced fumet. When the liquid is simmering, stir in the chunked butter. Stir in the thyme.