In Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is the wise fisherman and Manolin his young apprentice. In my culinary retelling, the mentor is played by Renee Erickson, Seattle’s preeminent chef and restaurateur. The acolytes are a quartet of owners, all of whom worked at Erickson’s The Walrus and the Carpenter and The Whale Wins (both former Hot 10 spots).
At Manolin, chef Alex Barkley and partners Joe Sundberg, Rachel Johnson, and Patrick Thalasinos prove they have learned well. The welcoming nautical-themed space is centered around a U-shaped bar, behind which bartenders shake sunny Caribbean-inspired cocktails while Barkley works the wood-fired grill. Rockfish ceviche with strands of deep-fried sweet potato arrives bracingly tart. Arctic char comes lightly smoked and served atop house-made sour cream, a major upgrade from smoked salmon and cream cheese. Small plates encourage sharing, but you’ll want the grilled halibut for yourself. What makes the dish is a 26-ingredient mole, a riff on the Oaxacan sauce that the chef calls a “happy accident”—the kitchen needed to clean out the fridge and threw stuff into a blender. It’s the best bit of culinary improv since someone sprinkled salt on chocolate. What’s not an accident is the thought that has gone into Manolin. It just goes to show that the most lasting lesson that can be taught is how to be your own master.
Get the recipe for Halibut With Fall Mole and Radicchio below.
All aboard at Manolin:
Chef Alex Barkley
Manolin's Halibut With Fall Mole and Radicchio
A staff meeting.
The seasonal mole at Manolin is a mysterious sauce with more ingredients than we can remember.
It's 5 o'clock somewhere.
Tea-poached squid with crispy quinoa and lotus.
The airy bar at Manolin.
Smoked arctic char with turnip, sour cream, mustard, and chive.
Chef Barkley
Barkley honed his skills at Seattle's The Walrus and the Carpenter and The Whale Wins.
Barkley mans the wood-fired Grillworks grill.
What makes the dish is a 26-ingredient mole, a riff on the Oaxacan sauce that the chef calls a ”happy accident.”
Ingredients
Servings: 4
1½ pound skinless center-cut halibut fillet, cut into 4 pieces
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more
1 head Treviso or Chioggia radicchio, leaves separated and cut on a diagonal into 1” pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted, roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
1⅓ cups Fall Mole (click for recipe)
2 tablespoons torn mint leaves
Flaky sea salt
Preparation
Season halibut all over with kosher salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Add halibut and cook undisturbed until fish is golden brown and looks opaque halfway through, about 4 minutes. Turn fish, brush with oil, and cook until completely opaque (it will just start to flake when pressed on the side), about 2 minutes. Transfer fish to a warm plate, drizzle with oil, and let rest while you make the salad.
Toss radicchio, pumpkin seeds, vinegar, and remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a medium bowl; season with kosher salt and pepper.
Gently warm mole in a small saucepan over low heat. Spoon onto plates, dividing evenly. Place halibut on mole, top with radicchio salad and mint, and sprinkle with sea salt.
Manolin's Halibut With Fall Mole and Radicchio
Fall Mole
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