One of the best things about living in Alaska: free fish! Okay, so not always free. Sometimes we spend a lot of money on fishing gear, or charters, or maybe we even give up and (gasp) buy fish at the store. But most Alaskans have also benefited from the gift of fish. It’s just one of those things, and it’s glorious. So when my future brother-in-law gifted us with fresh halibut, it knocked all other protein out of the top spot for our next dinner. It turned out perfectly cooked – flaky, moist, with a lemony buttery caper sauce to top it off. Here’s what I did.
Ingredients:
- Halibut (I had two individual portions, probably about 6 ounces each)
- 1 Tb. olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 3 Tb. butter, divided
- 1/4 cup white wine (keeping it classy, I used boxed chardonnay)
- A few lemon slices
- Annnnnd 2 Tb. lemon juice
- 1 Tb. parsley
- 2 Tb. capers
- 1-2 minced garlic cloves
Tools you will need:
- A pan that can go in the oven
- A good broad spatula to scoop out the halibut
Directions:
- Put your oven-save pan in the oven (cast iron would be ideal), and turn the oven to 400 degrees.
- Wait 15 minutes.
- And in the meantime, prep your fish. If it has skin on, remove it (look to YouTube for how-to videos – you need a flat cutting surface and a big sharp knife). Sprinkle salt and pepper on the halibut’s pretty (no-skin) side.
- After your 15 minutes are up and the oven and pan are hot, remove the pan (POTHOLDER!!) and put it on the stove top. Add a splash of olive oil, and a tablespoon of butter. These will melt quickly and sizzle. As they do, place your fish pretty side down in the pan. Place the lemon slices in the pan. Return this to the oven.
- Cook your halibut unbothered for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove, turn off the oven, transfer halibut to a plate (I use pie pan tins – I have a million of them and they are endlessly useful during cooking).
- Strain the pan juices to get any bits and solids out and return the liquid to the hot pan over medium heat (again, potholder!).
- Add your garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add your wine and cook until it cooks down to almost gone.
- Add lemon juice, parsley and capers and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Stir in 1-2 Tb. butter to taste, and return your fish to the pan for only about 30 seconds as you spoon the mixture over the fish.
- Plate fish with a generous spoonful of sauce overtop. Serve the remaining sauce on the side to share.
The most challenging thing about this recipe is it’s fast-paced and, of course, it’s really easy to overcook fish. Your finished halibut should flake moistly at a fork’s prodding.
Pro tips: don’t skimp, use fresh lemons and fresh parsley. No plastic squeezy lemon or parsley flakes, please.
Enjoy!