Robust ragout is very simple

Advertiser Staff

For his part in a farm-to-table contemporary French dinner at Leeward Community College last week, chef Eric Leterc of the Pacific Beach Hotel elected to have the students prepare a very straightforward recipe — grilled fish over a sauteed vegetable "stew."

	A Taste of France
	Here is the Farm-to-Table menu* by chef George Mavrothalassitis of Chef Mavro restaurant and chef Eric Leterc of Pacific Beach Hotel:
•	Mavro:
	Grilled Kahuku prawns with cumin
	Island tabbouleh with Sumida watercress
•	Leterc:
	Grilled shutome Nicoise-style
	Fingerling potatoes ragout
•	Mavro:
	Coriander-crisped beef entrecote
	Artichoke a la barigoule
	Slow-roasted tomato, anchovy pinot sauce
•	Leterc, with pastry chef Ronald Viloria:
	Chocolate basil cake with caramel garnish
	* Prepared by students of the Leeward Community College program Oct. 24

The only complicated part is the demi-glace, a reduction of beef stock and madeira or sherry. The students made their own, but home cooks can cheat and buy demi-glace at R. Field or Strawberry Connection (or you can really cheat and just reduce a can of beef broth down to 4 tablespoons; add a splash of madeira or sherry).

The recipe teaches several skills: marinating, grilling, sauteeing and deglazing. Shutome, or swordfish, is used in this recipe, but you could substitute any firm-fleshed fish that lends itself to grilling. Fingerling potatoes are small, stubby spuds with a rich, yellow flesh. You can used sliced Yellow Finns or other new potatoes instead if you can't find fingerlings.

Grilled Shutome Nicoise-style with Fingerling Potato Ragout

4 (4.5-ounce) shutome steaks
2 cups olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
8 pinches curry powder
3-4 sprigs rosemary
3-4 sprigs thyme
8 garlic cloves, whole, peeled
12 fingerling potatoes*
4 vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled and seeded
4 stalks celery
1 whole fennel bulb
8 sun-dried tomatoes
12 basil leaves
4 tablespoons Nicoise olives
Olive oil for sauteeing
Salt
4 tablespoons demi-glace or jus
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Mince 2-4 cloves garlic. Strip leaves from rosemary and thyme and chop fine. Place shutome in shallow dish and pour olive over fish. Scatter rosemary, thyme and curry powder over fish, turning to coat. Marinate shutome a couple of hours or more, covered and refrigerated.

Close to serving time, prepare grill for fish (coals should be at white-ash stage when you are ready to grill fish, which will take only minutes).

While coals are being readied, prepare vegetables and put each in a bowl close to hand to where you'll be sauteeing. Wash potatoes but do not peel. Slice potatoes one-quarter inch thick (no thinner; it's better to err slightly on the thick side). Coarsely chop fresh tomatoes and place in bowl. Coarsely chop celery and fennel bulb. Rehydrate sun-dried tomatoes in warm water; press out water and slice. Wash basil leaves, dry and place in bowl. Place olives in a bowl.

Make the ragout: In a large, heavy-bottomed saute pan or dutch oven, heat one-quarter inch of oil over medium heat until shimmering. Throw in potatoes and whole, peeled garlic, salt to taste and saute until potatoes and garlic begin to take on some color and release their fragrance (stir or shake pan to prevent sticking, but don't over-stir).

Add tomatoes, celery, fennel bulb, sun-dried tomatoes and basil leaves and allow to cook until all ingredients are heated through and juices begin to meld. Add olives. Simmer until potatoes are cooked through. Deglaze with demi-glace and balsamic vinegar, allowing the liquid to cook down a little bit. Taste and correct seasonings. (If the dish is too rich, add some olive juice, if too sweet add a little more vinegar.)

Between stirring the ragout, remove fish from marinade and grill fish about 2-4 minutes a side.

Place a bed of ragout on the plate and top with a fillet of grilled fish. Serve hot.

* Or use 6 small Yellow Finn or other new potatoes