This is possibly the simplest fish dish I’ve ever prepared, but my husband used the word “outstanding” not once, but twice during the meal, so something must have gone very right. This was a last-minute inspiration based on desire to balance our love for the tangy zing of Thai chili sauce with the delicate taste of halibut, all the while keeping preparation to a minimum and moisture in the fish to a max.
lime juice (I keep a bottle of it on hand; I use it in great quantities and love adding it to soda water for spritzers alongside meals like this one)
Thai sweet chili sauce
cayenne pepper
salt
olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 375. Rinse the fish and dust it with salt. Place the fillet in a glass baking dish and drizzle a tiny amount of olive oil over the top, then roll it in the pan a few times to coat.
2. In a small bowl, combine the mayo and chili sauce and beat with a fork. The result should be pink. Add lime juice and stir until the sauce becomes the consistency of salad dressing. Season liberally with cayenne and a little salt. Taste and adjust lime and chili sauce to taste.
3. Spoon the sauce over the fish and turn the fillet so that it is coated on all sides. Heap extra sauce on top, reserving some in the bowl.
4. Bake at 375 until the halibut is opaque through and flakes easily. Add more sauce to the top halfway through the process, to replace any that has melted down the sides. The sauce should form a soft golden crust by the time the fish is cooked through.
5. Serve with lime wedges and rice. Save any pan drippings to drizzle over the rice on the side. Outstanding!
As the weather gets warmer, start thinking about spending some more time outside. It’s almost picnic season! Gather a few friends and pack up an elegant lunch to share - think about bringing sturdy fruits, like tart apples and sweet pears; small pieces of dark chocolate, carrot sticks, and something fizzy to drink are all excellent, along with a selection of hard and soft cheeses, a variety of breads or rolls, and a few savory spreads.
This is a simple, healthful, and delicious way to make halibut a portable and elegant addition to any picnic - serve it as sandwiches, or try wrapping it washed butter lettuce leaves for a low-carb alternative. The flavors work beautifully with salmon, as well - try it as a use for leftovers.
1. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the halibut until browned, then set it aside to cool. Once it can be handled, flake the meat into a bowl with a fork - don’t mash the fish, just pull it into large flakes; it should be tender enough to separate easily.
2. In another bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, celery, scallions and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Carefully fold in the halibut until all ingredients are well combined. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Chill before packing it for a picnic.
This recipe is the result of a mistake followed by a brainstorm.I mistakenly read a recipe for “fish en papillote,” or parchment-baked fish; in my mind, I was convinced it was wrapped in phyllo dough rather than paper, and once I discovered my mistake, I had to think quickly to rewrite the preparation to go with ingredients I had on hand.It ended up being a very fancy-looking dish that took no time or preparation at all to pull together.My family loved it!The variations could be endless…(This recipe serves two hungry people).
1.Set the phyllo out on the counter, unopened, to thaw for a couple of hours before use.
2.Preheat oven to 425.Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy skillet.Sauté the onions and minced garlic until the onions are just translucent, then add the spinach and toss until it wilts.Remove from heat and press the spinach into a colander to drain the juice.Fluff the spinach into a bowl, and crumble a handful of feta cheese onto it, then mix until well combined, without breaking the cheese into teeny bits; chunks are nice.
3.Season the halibut fillets with salt and pepper.Lay a sheet of phyllo onto a clean, dry work surface, and then brush with melted butter.Lay another sheet on top of that, brush, and repeat until you have three layers of dough.Lay one halibut fillet at one end.Season with pepper, nutmeg, and a shake of cayenne.Cover the fillet with half the sliced garlic, lemon zest and chopped basil, then pile half the spinach-feta mixture on top.
4.Carefully fold the leaves of dough over the fish from the sides, as if you were wrapping a present. Then, fold it over and over lengthwise until the fish is completely wrapped, and looks like a small paper parcel.Repeat the process from steps 3 and 4 with the second fillet.
5.Bake on a baking sheet for 15 – 20 minutes or until the fish is opaque – you would have to slice into a fillet to check, or trust your timing and oven temperature.
I served ours with a light sauce, using the remaining lemon juice and some thick Greek yogurt whisked together with oregano and a pinch of salt and sugar.We had red pepper quinoa with almonds (cooked in broth) and grilled mushrooms on the side.
This is a simple and relatively fail-safe way to prepare a large amount of fish for a hungry crowd.Its warmth and rustic flavors are a great addition to any holiday table, and leftovers can easily be converted to soup or stew.
1 lb. small red or fingerling potatoes, washed – halve any large ones and leave the rest whole
olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
1 sprig fresh rosemary
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
½ cup dry white wine
3 T butter, cut into cubes
1.Boil the potatoes in salted water with the whole sprig of rosemary for around 15 minutes, or until potatoes are partially (but not fully) cooked, then drain and set aside.
2.Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.Heat the oil in a large, ovenproof skillet and sauté the onion until translucent.Add the garlic and tomatoes and sauté a few minutes longer, until the garlic is fragrant.
3.Place the fish in the skillet, and cover with the tomato-onion mixture.Surround the fish with the potatoes and pour the wine over everything.Strip the thyme from its twigs and sprinkle the leaves over the fish.Do the same with the tarragon.Dust the entire contents of the skillet with salt and pepper.
4.Bake under foil (or skillet lid) for 22-25 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily at its densest point.Remove the roast from the oven, dot with the butter cubes, and recover.Let it stand for a few minutes, until the butter melts.Serve warm with hot crusty bread.
• 1 1/2 pound Alaskan halibut
• 1 pound onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 to 1 whole jalapeno or Serrano pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano or 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 8 large Spanish or Italian green olives, pitted and chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons capers, chopped
• 2 1/2 cups peeled canned tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• Juice of 1 lime
Preparation Instructions
1. Sauté Onions in hot oil until they begin to soften and color. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook for 30 seconds.
2. Add oregano, olives, cinnamon, and capers to the onion mixture. Stir. Squeeze tomatoes.
3. Add to mixture, along with bay leaf. Simmer for 10 minutes. Refrigerate.
4. To serve, wash fish and squeeze lime juice over it. Refrigerate for no more than 1 hour.
5. Reheat sauce slowly. Arrange fish in a large skillet, spoon the sauce over it, and cook.
6. Remove bay leaf and serve the fish with its sauce over boiled potatoes or rice.
• 1 pound Alaskan Halibut fillets,
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup green onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Preparation Instructions
1. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Sauté mushrooms, onion, garlic, pepper and salt until mushrooms are tender.
2 Add halibut and sherry. Cook over very high heat until sherry is reduced by half. When finished, there should be only a very light brown sauce glazing the halibut.
3. Sprinkle with parsley.
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