Spring in my kitchen

Food section contributor Jonathan Levitt is writing a story on Maine halibut for next week and both of us are coming up with a recipe. I had company for supper last night and went to New Deal Fish Market in East Cambridge to buy boneless pieces of fish, along with some bones. The fish was white, firm, and beautiful.

At home, I began with fish stock (easiest stock of all to make; fish bones and aromatic vegetables in a pan, simmer exactly 20 minutes). Using the strained stock, I made a simple tomato-saffron sauce, poached the fish in it, and added fingerling potatoes.

For dessert, I simmered strawberries with rhubarb for an hour to make a compote, which I drizzled with vanilla custard sauce and served with chocolate cookies.

Just before dinner, when I went into the kitchen to check on everything and opened the pots, I realized that the centerpiece of the main course was white with a pool of red sauce. The center of the dessert was red with a pool of white sauce.

Don't hire me to cater your next party.

Strawberry-rhubarb compote
Serves 8

8 thick stalks of rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/3 cup sugar
1 Navel orange
1 cup heavy cream (for serving)

1. In a heavy-based flameproof casserole off the heat, combine the rhubarb, strawberries and sugar. Grate the orange rind into the pot. Halve the orange and squeeze the juice of one half into the fruit. With your fingers pull the squeezed orange membranes off the rind and add them to the pot.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the juices run. Cover and let the mixture bubble steadily over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Uncover, turn up the heat to medium, and continue simmering for 30 minutes or until the juices reduce and the mixture thickens.
3. Divide the mixture among 8 small bowls and pour heavy cream around the edges of each bowl. Sheryl Julian