1. Coat the bottom of a saucepan with oil heated to low-medium. Add the shallot and celery and saute for about 8-10 minutes or just until they are softened. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with a pinch of salt and add the asparagus. Boil the asparagus for 1 minute, strain the asparagus and immediatley place in ice water to cool. Once cool, strain the asparagus and place in the blender along with the sauteed shallot, celery and chicken stock. Puree the mixture until nice and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Rub your fingers across the halibut to make sure there are no bones. Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Heat butter and oil in a heavy bottomed skillet to medium high. If you have a cast iron skillet this would be a perfect time to use it. Once the oil/butter is hot, place the halibut in the pan skin side down. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Gently flip the fish and cook another 3-4 minutes.
4. Gently reheat the asparagus puree and serve along with the halibut with a generous squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of chive oil Recipe for Chive Oil is below).
Chive Oil Recipe:
1 bunch chives (should equal about a handful)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt
Directions:
1. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, season the water with a pinch of salt. Place the chives in the boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove the chives and place in a bowl of ice water. Remove the chives and pat completely dry.
2. Place the chives in a blender or food processor on high. Lightly drizzle the oil into the processor and process until the chives are blended with the oil.
3. Allow the chives and oil mixture to sit for at least an hour. After that time, strain the oil through cheesecloth.
Store the oil covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.
The following recipe comes from Bonne Nutrition a food blog full of health tips and great recipes.
Ingredients:
Fish steaks/fillets (halibut/tilapia/tuna/salmon): 4 oz
Tandoori masala: 1-2 tablespoon (use less for milder taste or more if you want it spicier)
Yogurt: 2 tablespoon
Vinegar: 1tsp
Lemon : 1/2
Onion : 1/2 medium (chopped into rings)
Method:
Wash the fish well (traditionally fish in India is washed in water,then some tumeric and lemon juice is applied to the pieces and kept for 1/2 an hour,and then washed off again).
Mix the tandoori masala, yogurt and vinegar and taste for salt. If required,add a little salt.
Coat the fish with the tandoori masala and let it marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or you could also shallow fry it in a pan till done.
Squeeze some lime juice over it just before serving.
Serve with some lemon wedges and some onion rings.
The Halibut fishing season finished Nov 15th after starting in March. Homer Alaska is once again America’s number one halibut port with more than 12 million pounds crossing its docks this season, with Kodiak coming in second. The total catch this year was 42 million pounds.
More demand this year from the retail sector as more and more folks are opting to eat halibut at home instead of in expensive restaurants.
Salmon
Alaskan fishermen delivered 162 million wild salmon this year, this is the 11th biggest catch since Alaska got its Statehood, worth an estimated $370 million.
Fresh halibut fillets, marinated and then glazed with a sweet and salty melon flavored sauce. Other firm white fish can also be used. Halibut is low in fat and calories but is an excellent source of good quality protein. It is considered a lean fish and does contain some heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. A 6 oz. halibut fillet is also chock-full of vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron, zinc, thiamin, riboflavin, folate and vitamin A.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Midori (melon liqueur)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
8 halibut filets
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup low sodium vegetable stock
Honeydew melon slices, for garnish
Cantaloupe Salsa:
1 1/2 cups cantaloupe, diced
1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup sweet red onion, diced
1 green onion, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, minced
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine Midori, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic in a small mixing bowl and mix well to combine.
Season halibut with salt and pepper and then place halibut in a large zip lock plastic bag and pour 1/2 of the marinade over halibut.
Seal bag and let marinate for 30 minutes. Add remaining marinade and stock to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to a glaze consistency.
Place about 1/3 of glaze in a separate bowl and reserve. Remove halibut from marinade and generously brush with glaze.
Place halibut on a baking sheet lined with foil. Generously brush with glaze from saucepan and place in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn fish over and generously brush with glaze. Bake until desired doneness.
Place halibut fillets on plates, drizzle with a little glaze, garnish with honeydew melon slices and a big scoop of the cantaloupe salsa.
Serve with brown rice and vegetables.
This Recipe has been kindly provided by Amanda of Nourish, she’s a dietitian and great cook based in British Columbia, Canada for more great recipes go to http://dosesofnourishment.blogspot.com/
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.