A successful dinner party needs just two ingredients: delicious food and great conversation. And the season finale of In the Kitchen With Harry Hamlin serves up plenty of both! Joel McHale and Aisha Tyler sit down with Harry and Renee for a dinner of tangy baked fish with mustard sauce, savory veggies, decadent brownies, and a generous serving of juicy gossip. 

Uncle Harry’s Baked Fish with White Wine Mustard Sauce  
Serves 4 

Ingredients:
For the White Wine Mustard Sauce: 
3 cups dry white wine, such as Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio 
½ medium yellow onion, sliced  
2 shallots, sliced  
4 garlic cloves  
1 ½ cups heavy cream 
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard 
Kosher salt and finely ground white pepper, to taste  

For the White Fish: 
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour  
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  
4 wild, deboned white fish filets (such as white fish, cod, halibut (whatever is in season and sustainably caught), rinsed and patted dry  
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature  
4 sprigs fresh thyme  
Flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste  
1 lemon, quartered   

Instructions:
To make the sauce: Add the wine, onion, shallots and garlic to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until reduced by ¾, leaving ¼ of the original volume. Strain into a new saucepan or liquid measuring cup. Add the cream and return the saucepan to medium heat. Reduce, stirring frequently to avoid a ‘skin” from forming on the surface, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, time TBD. Remove from the heat and whisk in the whole grain mustard until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Add more mustard if the sauce needs more, “tang.’ Serve warm. (Note: the sauce can be made in advance and gently reheated before serving.) 

To make the fish: Arrange an oven rack in the middle position and preheat to 400 degrees F.  

In a shallow baking pan, add the flour and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the fish in the flour to evenly coat, shaking off any excess. Place onto a plate and set aside.  

Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-safe, stainless-steel pan over medium-high heat. Carefully add the fish into the hot pan, then add the butter and thyme. Baste the exposed side of the fish with butter while the underside lightly browns, 3-4 minutes. Flip the fish to brown on the other side. Squeeze fresh lemon over the top and place the pan into the oven to finish cooking for 8-12 minutes depending on size and thickness (the fish will be flaky, opaque and springy to the touch when baked through. Or, the internal temperature should be at 145 degrees.). Serve immediately with the white wine mustard sauce.  

Orange, Maple & Thyme Roasted Vegetables 
Serves 4-6  

Ingredients:
6 multi-colored carrots with tops, peeled and cut on the bias with ½-inch of top stem left intact 
1 large or 2 small bulbs fennel with fronds, cut lengthwise into ⅜ -inch thick slices, fronds reserved for garnish   
2 medium parsnips, ends trimmed and cut into rounds (thickest part cut into half-moons) 
1 (1lb) sweet potato, washed well and cut into ½ -inch cubes  
1 teaspoon orange zest 
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice  
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup  
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus 4 whole sprigs   
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil  
Flaky salt 
Freshly ground black pepper 

Garnish: 
Reserved fennel fronds 
Toasted sliced almonds, lightly crushed (optional) 

Instructions:
Arrange an oven rack in the upper third position and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  

Arrange the vegetables in a single, even layer on a baking sheet.  

In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the orange zest and juice, maple syrup and thyme. Add the olive oil and whisk until thickened and emulsified. Pour the dressing over the vegetables. Using clean hands, toss until all the veggies are evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the thyme sprigs on top of the veggies and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, toss and return to the oven to roast for an additional 10 minutes. Increase the heat to a high broil and broil for 3-5 minutes until nicely browned. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Discard the thyme sprigs.  

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a serving platter and season once again with flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds and toasted almonds, if using.  

Warm Fudgy Brownies
Adapted from Renee’s Companion to A Taste of Opportunity 
Serves 6 

Ingredients:
1 ⅓ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted *See Cook’s Note 
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder  
1 teaspoon baking powder  
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt  
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted  
1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
3 cups granulated sugar  
4 large eggs, at room temperature  
1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract 
½ cup dark chocolate chips (such as Callebaut 54%) 

To serve: 
Ice cream!  

Special equipment: 9x9-inch baking pan 

Instructions:
Arrange an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  

Butter and line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with parchment paper, allowing for a 2-inch overhang on all sides.  Set aside. 

Into a medium mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.  

In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the butter, oil and sugar. Whisk on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until fully incorporated. Pour in the eggs and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth and lighter/paler in color. Add the flour-cocoa and whisk on low speed just until everything is combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, being careful not to overmix.  

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake in the oven for 38-42 minutes until the sides are set and the center retains just a little bit of a wiggly-wobble. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool on a cooling rack. Serve warm with ice cream.  

*Cook’s Note: For a fudgier brownie, remove ⅓ cup of flour and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes. 
 

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