In the kitchen with chef Mark Monette: Potato-crusted Alaskan halibut and arugula salad

In this week's Chef and Tell interview, Mark Monette, the executive chef/partner of the Flagstaff House, sounds off on sharing kitchen space with Thomas Keller, turning fifty and doing double duty at two top drawer restaurants, which keeps him firmly entrenched in the kitchen. He took some away from the burners, however, to share one of his favorite recipes: potato-crusted halibut with arugula, a perfect summer dish that's a showcase of vibrant, seasonal flavors.

Potato-crusted Alaskan halibut and arugula salad

Ingredients

4 halibut filets, six to eight ounces each
1 cup potato chips, crushed
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
4 cups arugula
1 red or yellow sweet pepper, roasted and diced
1 dried tomato, chopped
3 tablespoons Niçoise olives, chopped
12 cloves garlic, roasted
4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon white truffle oil (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Croutons

Directions

1. Lightly flour the halibut filets, brush them with egg wash and coat each filet with potato chips.
2. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a pan, and saute the filets, flipping them once, until the flesh is white and flaky.
3. Add the balsamic vinegar to a saucepan and simmer until the vinegar has a syrupy consistency, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and chill. Refrigerated, the syrup will keep up to one month.
4. In a large bowl, mix roasted peppers, dried tomatoes, Niçoise olives, and roasted garlic.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the balsamic syrup, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and white truffle oil.
6. Divide arugula evenly among four plates, drizzle with the balsamic dressing, and toss. Top each salad with roasted red pepper mixture. Sprinkle with croutons and place a halibut filet on top of each salad.